Blood and Seawater
by Polywantsanother
Summary: THIS IS A DIRECT SEQUEL TO HOW DRAGONS FALL IN LOVE. PLEASE READ THAT FIRST. Back in the North Pole, still hurting from everything that happened in Hira'a, Katara finds herself forced to pick the path of her future. But will it be to a throne in the South Pole or behind the one in the Fire Nation? crossposted on AO3
1. Prologue

In the afternoon, it was dark. Katara sat in her unlit room for a moment, soaking in the darkness. It would take some getting used to - the Northern winter seemed deeper and colder than the Southern - but she would acclimate. It's what she did.

It would take some time to get used to all the new people.

But she would.

The prince was friendlier than she expected. She had imagined a man who walked away from his family to pursue political advantage by being adopted into the Head Chief's family. Instead, Amaqjuaq - but only Amaq to his friends - was an orphan of war heroes. A Spiritualist who wanted to reinvigorate the spiritual practices of the poles and was more egalitarian than any other male she had met in the North Pole.

Katara was already falling into an easy friendship with the prince, which frustrated her. She knew how it looked.

He had admitted to as much when they had been walking one afternoon after Bending exercise.

" _I want to apologize Katara." Amaq murmured as he offered his arm. Katara took it, but glanced at the others as they walked ahead of them._

" _For what?" She asked and they started toward the Palace._

" _For everything my parents are going to do to us." He replied and smiled wryly at her._

Malina was also, unexpected.

It was difficult to meet the adult girlfriend of one's father while also an adult. Katara could see how Malina struggled, caught between parental authority and adult peer. It didn't help that Malina was basically a transplant - she had spent all of her adult life in the Earth Kingdom studying architecture - and had never been married, nor had children of her own. Katara imagined that Malina would have always been nervous no matter what age she had met Hakoda's children.

There were new teachers; Master Kupun taught her law while they went over the wildly different charters the various tribes from the South Pole had submitted to be included in their new constitution. Healer Nukilik was an old friend of Gran-Gran's, and she knew how to tell if a person was a Bender and for what element using her own bending. She could even tell the gender and bending ability of a baby still in their mother's womb.

" _Seventy years I've been doing this, and I haven't been wrong once. One couple thought I was wrong, but I told them, he was just beer poured into a water pitcher! The boy, Sillia, finally showed them after he did his ice dodging." Nukilik chuckled. "Nice boy Sillia, though his wife is a silly fish."_

If Katara had thought the healing hut was beneath her when she first visited, she found it completely different after becoming a Master. She was having to learn internal anatomy, how to feel the "rightness" of her own organs by noting the "wrongness" in others.

It was a lot, more than she had thought she would be doing, and it kept her busy.

It had only been a week since she arrived in the North Pole and she had only seen Aang at meals and the military drills.

Not that he didn't call on her. Every single day.

" _Katara, let's go ice skating!"_

" _Hey Katara, want to go visit the Spirit Oasis with me?"_

" _I was thinking of eating at one of the restaurants in the city, want to come?"_

" _Katara…"_

" _Katara?"_

" _Katara!"_

He was a blast of water that sprayed constantly. She could deflect him, and Amaq was being more helpful about interceding now that he knew about the two of them, but it was exhausting.

Because while she deflected, practiced, learned, interacted with one hand, the other was cupped to her chest. Protecting one, small, flickering flame.

Katara lightly touched her fingers to her chest, and felt the restrictive pain under it.

"Zuko." She whispered. It was all she allowed herself. Unable to write him again, Katara just felt sick thinking about him. Thinking about what had happened.

This morning, Arnook had given them the informal announcement that he was accepting a Fire Nation delegation at the end of the month. The Minister of Interior Affairs would be arriving after the national mourning period for Azula ended. It would not be Iroh then, and Katara felt pained at what she knew was going to be some xenophobic elitist who would remind her exactly why she could never be with Zuko.

"OH!" The exclaim was made in surprise but amplified by fright. "Master Katara, I didn't know you were home! Let me light the lamps for you." A maid - how did they have a maid? - rushed to a lamp and Katara could hear the rocky clatter of flint. Embers flashed in the darkness, briefly illuminating random patches of the maid's hands. Finally, the wick in the whale oil lamps lit and a greasy light lit up a wide arch from the wall.

Not wanting to awkwardly loom over the young woman, Katara went to her small writing desk and pulled off her mittens. She grabbed the writing box as she heard more scratching from the flint and slowly, the room lightened.

"I was coming to bring your mail, would you like it now Katara?" The maid asked as she approached the desk.

"Yes please. Anything interesting?"

"Nara Pilipaappak is inviting you and your brother over to dinner." The maid said as she handed Katara a small stack of letters. Katara furrowed her brow as she took them, thinking. In the South Pole, and specifically in her village, there were only so many people so names were easy to remember. Here, it was easier to find someone with the same name, so kin-surnames were often used.

"Nara Pili-" Katara cut herself off as she remembered, hitting the desk sharply with the edge of the letters. "Pilip's mother." The maid smiled and Katara turned back in her seat, placing the letters down. "Thank you."

From the corner of her eye, she saw the woman bow slightly before leaving.

So many things to get used to.


	2. The Fire Nation Ambassador

Standing patiently while Malina fussed with the massive fur collar, Katara blew at some strands tickling her face. The cloak was a heavy thing, woven from dense arctic sheep wool, with long, deep sleeves and a plush white collar of polar ermine fur. A large twisted band of silver made a simple clasp, but the cloak was cut in such a way that it held closed on its own.

It was woven with South Pole motifs but had the same style and look as the clothing worn by Arnook and his family. To put it simply, she was dressed like one of the royals.

Looking at her father and brother, wearing simple Southern style clothes, Katara fought down a grimace. It was an honor, of course, to be recognized for her status within the Tribal community but she did not relish the pomp.

"I can't believe we're going to be meeting with the Fire Nation ambassador." Malina huffed nervously.

"He's an emissary. There's no official embassy office set up yet." Hakoda interjected. Malina clicked her tongue and made one final smoothing pass over the collar.

"You look lovely Katara." Malina said and smiled at her. Katara attempted to smile back, but she felt it came off as more of a wince.

"Is your boyfriend coming to pick you up?" Sokka asked. Katara turned, annoyed, and glared at her brother.

"He's not my," Katara gave up and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I think it's wonderful you've hit it off with the prince so well." Malina added and Katara closed her eyes for a moment.

"He's very easy to get along with." She replied neutrally.

"We should head over to the palace. The air balloon should be landing any minute." Hakoda prompted. Katara braced herself before pushing out into the public sphere.

The whole of the North Pole tribe existed within the palace, but was segregated into "aprons;" areas that skirted the actual palace and radiated outward. Closer in to the imperial buildings and royal quarters was the Ice village where many of the Masters lived; further out was the Snow village, the largest area and home to most of the inhabitants of the North Pole; finally, the outskirts that nestled up against the docks was the Slush village.

With his position, Hakoda could have easily lived in the Ice village, if not within the Royal apartments itself. Instead, he took up a few rooms in the Snow village, where Malina lived. So as the family walked out into the canal streets, many of the people already out and about stopped and stared.

It did not help matters that Katara was dressed so lavishly.

Taking a deep breath, Katara tried to focus on something other than the murmuring crowd. She thought about walking these streets when it was truly night, when everyone was home and trying to sleep in the ever present darkness, and Katara was alone.

But not always alone.

Over the past month, Amaq had made a point of walking back with her when she left the palace or the Ice village late. He carried a lantern and insisted he was keeping her from accidentally falling into a canal. Waterbenders kept them flowing all year round, which meant that the canals were extraordinarily cold during the dark months.

In reality, Katara had guessed that he was taking an opportunity to speak with her frankly, as they were both often in need of unburdened friendship.

Earlier, Amaq often talked about his plans for the tribe. He had eagerly outlined the development of his two special squads. No nation was permitted to have a standing army per the Treaty of Ba Sing Se, but Amaq had been able to pull together a group of guardsmen that was held in defense of the tribe. Non Waterbenders were made foot soldiers of a sort and Amaq had cobbled together a sort of treatise of urban warfare that utilized the canal streets and bridges.

Katara remembered when the Fire Nation had invaded, how oddly unprepared the fighters had been when they lost their bending at the lunar eclipse.

That was the day Amaq's birth mother had died, a healer who had been killed while attending to a fallen soldier.

Finding her thoughts inexorably drawn the melancholy, Katara frowned. She could not seem to escape these somber moments.

Feeling a tug on her sleeve, Katara looked down. Sokka had begun to lightly hold onto her and she glanced over at him. He smiled quickly at her, a small closed grin more like a wink. Katara relaxed, felt herself smile back, and faced forward.

He held her the whole way to the palace; the dock line to her oar less kayak.

When they arrived at the palace, they were informed that the Fire Nation air balloon had landed and the royal family had gathered in the main courtyard. Katara felt her pulse quicken as they rushed to meet Arnook, terrified of seeing a Fire Nation official again.

There had only been a few at the palace, meeting quickly with Zuko in the mornings or early afternoon. They spoke quietly, barely bowing to her with sharp focused eyes in unfriendly faces as they passed her in the halls.

"Katara." Amaq stepped over to greet her, holding her by the arms as he kissed her lightly in greeting. Embraces of any sort were fraught with innuendo when conducted by people outside of a kin group. To kiss, publicly, was a statement. Each time it happened, Katara felt a mix of panic and thrill, knowing they were being watched and examined.

It was something, after all, to be unofficially courted by the prince.

Unthinkingly, Katara looked over and found Aang watching her, watching Amaq greet her in such a manner. He had never been good at keeping his face neutral, and Katara saw, with no small amount of perverse pleasure, as he glowered.

It had been his fault that she was in this position in the first place.

"When are they getting here?" Katara asked as she linked her arm with Amaq's and they walked over to the rest of the receiving party.

"Any minute. Father sent out the sleds when he saw the balloon begin its descent." He answered. When they approached, Amaq's mother hugged Katara and everyone said their hellos. Arnook gestured for Sokka to approach, and the two men began to confer.

While Katara had been in the dark, apparently her brother's close friendship with the Fire Lord was common knowledge in the North Pole. When Sokka had refused to be appointed Hakoda's heir, Arnook had quickly offered to make him a foreign minister, seeking to leverage Sokka's experience and friendship in foreign affairs. The Poles had been thrust onto the global stage and Arnook found a severe lack in offices suited to the position.

There was also some lingering sentiment Arnook held for the boy who had loved his daughter so fiercely.

"You look great in that coat by the way." Amaq said as they stood waiting. Katara shrugged, feeling the heavy pull of the fabric on her shoulders.

"It's certainly warm." She remarked.

"You're so thin, I think mother assumed you'd need it." Katara startled at the comment. All over the world, Katara had seen bodies come in every shape and size but no where was she considered thin. In the Fire Nation, Katara had felt the sting of watching the lithe young women that looked and moved so elegantly.

Katara glanced at Amaq and saw nothing in his face. It was neither an attempt to flatter or gently mock. It was a simple statement of fact. She was, in comparison to healthy tribal women, thin.

Amaq, for comparison, was massive. Standing comfortably past six feet tall, he was broad chested, thick limb, and built with a similar musculature as other Waterbenders. Bending increased one's metabolism and there were few among them who were not considered lean.

He was also dark skinned, with the familiar long, wavy brown hair.

A very vivid, very brief vision of her dark hand against creamy skin, the curve of a bare pelvis, flashed through Katara's mind and she felt herself warm.

Amaq, in almost every possible sense, was an opposite to Zuko.

"I see them." Malina whispered sharply from behind her. Katara started and looked out over the courtyard. Black dots moved over the horizon and Katara shifted her weight on her feet. In minutes, the polar bear dogs would pull in, depositing their sleds.

Luggage would come, and more gifts, Katara was certain.

But would there be letters?

"Nervous?" Amaq asked suddenly and Katara felt afraid.

"What?" She shot back, her mind sputtering. Was she so obvious?

"Your first official political meeting as Master Katara for the South Pole." Amaq clarified and Katara sighed.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm just not used to being on this side of the exchange." She replied. Travelling with Aang, Katara had often gone to the homes of officials, from royalty to village mayor. Sometimes she was even recognized for her own merits.

"I just hope they're prepared for the cold." Amaq said.

"I don't think anyone can prepare enough for the cold." Katara said wryly and Amaq chuckled.

The loud barks preceded the actual arrival, but very soon came the rush of fur and snow. The sleds were halted and slowly the riders were untethered from their seats. There were two soldiers, the airship crew, and two other figures. The taller of the two rose first and there came a sudden glinting as torchlight caught something.

"Is he seriously wearing _metal_?" Hakoda questioned. "It's below freezing!"

"He's most definitely a Firebender dad." Sokka replied. Hakoda muttered to himself about the lunacy of the Fire Nation.

The tall man was wearing a mask of gold. His hooded robe was long but Katara could tell it was still much thinner than it needed to be. He had to be a Firebender, or else he wouldn't have survived the trip from his ship.

The other figure, on the other hand, was bundled tip to toe. A large hat and scarf covered his face and he seemed to be wearing at least three coats, with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Being covered thusly, the man had an awkward time getting up from the sled and the two soldiers grasped his arms firmly, yanking him upright.

The group – Fire Nation envoy and sled drivers – walked over to the waiting party.

Arnook greeted them, speaking directly to the bundled man. Katara felt the side of her face tingle and she turned, finding the masked man staring at her.

The mask was simply wrought, with a thin mesh of gold behind the eyeholes. The face had been sculpted in a neutral expression, but the frozen features unnerved her. In fact, she couldn't tell if the man was really staring at her, as she could see nothing of his real eyes.

"Come inside and we will try to get you warm." Arnook said and the ambassador's muffled reply was almost incoherent.

Katara, taking Amaq's arm again, resisted the urge to watch the masked man.

"I guess the ambassador is not a Firebender." Amaq commented and Katara forced herself to examine the walking pile of coats.

Katara wondered what in the freezing dark depths the man had done to get such an awful appointment.

Inside the palace, Arnook gathered them into a large Earth Kingdom styled room. There was stone and wood, with heavy furs and carpets adorning the walls and floor. In the center was a large, circular fire pit, already blazing. The ambassador quickly made his way to the fire, falling down into a large chair. The masked man approached the fire pit directly, pulling the flames higher and making them brighter, for just a moment. He then walked over the ambassador, putting his hands over the man's covered body.

By the time they were all seated, the ambassador had begun to shed some of his layers.

And Katara gasped as Sokka barked out a sharp laugh.

" _RIN_?!" Katara balked. The young woman's sweaty face emerged from under the hat and scarf, and she looked positively livid.

"Is being Zuko's assistant so bad you chose to come to the North Pole?" Sokka asked at the same time. Rin grimaced as she yanked off her thick mittens and rummaged through a coat pocket.

"The Fire Lord promised me a promotion to Minister of Interior Affairs if I came." She said as she pulled out her glasses and put them on. The frames were made of bone and leather to resist freezing. "So I'm here."

"So who's the silent guy?" Sokka questioned.

"He's a priest of a new order. Guards of the Cave or something. It's another sun cult." Rin explained quickly, obviously dismissive of the whole thing. "Really, he's just here to make sure I don't freeze."

"Well, welcome to you Minister, and your priest." Arnook spoke up and Katara looked down, sheepish.

"My apologies Chief Arnook. I have been previously acquainted with Sokka and Master Katara, and I'm afraid I have grown familiar with them." Rin said.

"They have that effect." Arnook said, with a hint of humor. "But how are you acquainted with the Fire Lord?"

"I am his cousin by common law. Until recently, I was his personal assistant. I am, however, from Ba Sing Se and an Earthbender." Rin made a gesture as she spoke and one of the members from the airship crew handed her a closed folder. "I do have my credentials and references, and you will see I am completely qualified and authorized to work on the Fire Lord's behalf." She stood, still wearing two of her three coats, and walked to Arnook. She handed him the folder and bowed when he took it.

"I'm sure as his assistant, you are acutely aware of how the Fire Lord makes his decisions." He stated as he opened the folder. Rin returned to her seat and the priest put a hand on her shoulder. There were subtleties to bending elements, and only a skilled Bender could manipulate the heat and state of their element. There were only technical differences to how Katara could melt ice, boil water, and make steam versus a Firebender. She could heat the water, while a Firebender would have to apply heat.

"So what does the Fire Lord intend to accomplish with this visit?" Arnook asked as he flipped through the pages of the folder.

"Only to create a dialogue. The Fire Lord understands that the discussions slated for the next council meeting will be, complex." Rin answered.

"The issue of reparations you mean." Arnook said.

"The conversation of mutual healing, for both of our peoples." Rin countered.

"You consider yourself a person of the Fire Nation?" Amaq inquired. Rin turned to him, but did not answer right away. Her father had died in the war, but her mother had found love again with the Great Dragon of the West. Rin's feelings on the matter were, complex.

"I am a Fire Nation citizen as is required to hold my position as Minister." Rin answered evenly. "I am, above all, loyal to the Fire Lord both as sovereign and kin."

"Aw, Rin, does Zuko know you feel that way about him?" Sokka cooed and Rin whirled toward him, glaring. He laughed and she made not attempt to reply. He knew Rin better than Katara did, but the brief times she had seen Zuko interact with his near cousin, Rin had not been warm.

Katara wondered, again, what warranted Rin's presence here.

Glancing up, she found the masked priest staring at her again. Still unable to tell where exactly he was looking, Katara shifted uneasily in her seat. She moved closer to Amaq, putting her hand on his arm. He met her eyes and, somehow reading her as easily as a book, he turned his face up to the priest.

"Does the priest not speak?" Amaq asked, still watching the masked man. Rin turned in her seat to look up at him as well.

"Hmm? Oh, no. They all have taken a vow of silence. Something to do with not wanting to bother a spirit in the cave. Amar, Amera, Ameratsu or something." She answered and turned back again.

"Amaterasu. She's the sun spirit." Aang interjected. Katara had almost forgotten he was there, which was a surprise in and of itself.

"The _Fire Nation_ reveres a _female_ sun spirit?" Sokka asked, bewildered.

"It apparently faded in popularity in Sozin's time. Obviously, with the Fire Lord being likened to a god, they quickly abandoned any such faith. The Guards of the Cave are emerging after almost two hundred years." Rin added.

"I had only ever heard of the Guards of the Sun Cave before," Aang paused awkwardly. "When I was younger." He paused again before continuing. "Good to see you Rin."

"A pleasure, Avatar."

"I see now that a proper reception was never going to work." Arnook commented stiffly. "I underestimated the Fire Lord's guile in making such appointments."

"Again, I ask for your forgiveness. The Fire Lord is not one for cunning plans. I assure you that his only desire for this visit was make amends and bring peace between two people." Rin replied. Arnook looked at her with open surprise.

"Make amends? He seems to be asking a lot of you during such a short visit."

"The Fire Lord often asks much of me." Rin said dryly.

"Well then, while I certainly appreciate the Fire Lord's intentions, this is a conversation that cannot happen all at once." Arnook pushed himself out of the chair, holding up his hand as Rin began to rise. "Please stay. Warm yourself. I will send in some refreshments for you and your men. When you are ready to retire there will be a servant to show you to your rooms."

As the other officials shifted to let Arnook and his wife to the door first, Katara felt the energy shift toward the exit. She rose halfway, awkwardly.

"Chief Arnook?" The older man hesitated and turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Would you mind if I stayed with Rin for a little?" It was a unanticipated question, one that did not necessarily need to be asked. But there was propriety to consider, now at least.

Arnook turn partially to address her.

"You have no appointments to keep with me. And I'm sure that Master Kupun would appreciate the break." Arnook paused to look pointedly at Amaq. "Is my son staying with you?"

"I." As Amaq went to answer, Katara discreetly put her hand on his arm. "Yes," he continued smoothly. "We did leave the day open to greet the ambassador. And I would love to learn more about Katara's time in the Fire Nation." Arnook smiled indulgently and nodded.

"Then, Ambassador, it seems I leave you in the capable hands of youth. Enjoy your time." He said. Rin inclined her head.

"Thank you for your hospitality Chief Arnook, Chief Hakoda." She said. Hakoda, in spite of himself, laughed.

"Hold your thanks till you see the mean accommodations of the South Pole, _Ambassador_." As the officials filed out, Rin dismissed her staff and crew to secure their rooms and unload the luggage.

When the smaller group was left alone, Katara was disappointed - but not surprised - to find the priest still standing next to Rin's chair.

"How are things back at the palace?" Sokka asked as soon as the door to the room was closed. Rin settled back into her seat, pulling the blanket loosely around her. The Priest stepped aside and pulled heat from the fire into his hands again, returning and placing one on Rin's shoulder.

"Quiet." Rin finally said. "Much of the elite class returned for the funeral. There's been a bit of unrest as the city has started churning out rumours that Zuko murdered Azula. Zuko's closed the palace."

"Has there-" Katara snipped off the rest of her question. Taking a breath, she began again. "Is Zuko safe?"

"Safe enough. He's publicly secluded himself so he doesn't go out at all. He says he's still in morning and is investigating what occured in Hira'a." Rin spoke succinctly. Often, Katara wondered if the woman was as callous as she sounded.

"What's he really doing?" Sokka asked.

"He's attending to personal matters." Rin answered.

 _Mai_. Katara thought suddenly. Mai would have returned for Azula's funeral. She would have gone to see the grieving brother. Unknowingly, Katara's hands curled into tight fists.

"He has sent a team to Hira'a, but his focus was on, accommodations." Rin continued. Amaq leaned over toward Katara.

"Should I be here for this?" Amaq whispered to her. Katara, noticing now how tense she was, forced herself to relax.

"I'll explain later." She whispered back, and went on. "And it's fine, I need you here." Amaq straightened in his seat and held out his hand. Katara took it, interlacing her fingers with his. The pads of his fingers were calloused, but she felt secure holding his hand.

"What is Riku's status?" Aang questioned. Katara's hand squeezed and Amaq returned a light pressure.

"Noren and his daughters have been moved into the city. Riku is being seen by a doctor from the Matsu Institute who is aware of her condition." Rin answered.

"What about Noriko?" Sokka asked.

"She remained in Hira'a to wait for more information." Rin replied. Katara wondered if the other woman was speaking so obtusely because of Amaq or the priest. Looking up, Katara saw the impassive gleam of the gold mask, and shuddered.

"Good to see that _Riku_ is safe and happy." Katara said, with more bitterness than she anticipated.

"I'm sure Chang would be glad to hear that Katara." Rin said evenly. Katara recoiled and Amaq squeezed her hand again.

"So what's the plan here Tinny Rinny? I thought Iroh was handling the foreign stuff since he knew so many people through the White Lotus." Sokka interrupted.

"That is still the plan." Rin shrugged. "This venture is purely an ill conceived ploy for personal reasons."

"So he wants to make nice with our family?" Sokka offered.

"Something like that." Rin sounded tired. She seemed to have little patience in dealing with Zuko.

"Think you're going to be placed here permanently?" Sokka inquired. Rin's face contorted in disgust.

"I should think not." Katara almost laughed at how offended Rin sounded. "I do have a life back at the palace you know."

"True." Sokka nodded and rubbed his chin. "I was surprised to see Kria wasn't with you."

"Who's Kria?" Katara asked.

"My wife." Rin answered and Katara balked.

"Your _married_?!" Sokka chuckled while Rin looked blandly back at her.

"Regardless of the Fire Lord's intentions for it," Amaq interjected and Katara slumped back into her chair. "I am glad that he sent a representative."

"I'm sure the Fire Lord will be interested in meeting you in person, Prince Amaqjuaq." Rin said.

"I assume he will be able to make it to the council meeting in the summer?"

"He wouldn't miss it."

Sokka stood and stretched his arms over his head, groaning as various joints popped loudly. Everyone turned to him as he looked about, scratching his shoulder.

"What?" He asked and Katara rolled her eyes. They were further interrupted as a quick knocking at the door sounded seconds before it opened. Two servants walked in wordlessly with trays laden with carafes, cups, and covered dishes. They all took a moment to take some refreshments and rearrange the furniture so they were all sitting closer to one another, and the fire.

Katara finally unlatched her cloak and stood to pull it away from her body. Amaq took it, allowing her to step out of the heavy material, and he draped it over the back of her chair before sitting.

"I should mention that I have brought along correspondence for you all." Rin said when they had settled again.

"Anything from Suki?" Sokka asked eagerly.

"I think that should be obvious." Rin replied.

"We will have to have you over for dinner soon Rin." Katara offered.

"How well heated is your apartment?" While still a question, it served more as a reminder than a request for information. Katara nodded once as she thought about it.

"We should meet you in the palace for dinner soon Rin." Sokka corrected.

"That would be nice." Rin took a hesitant sip of the liquid in her cup. She sniffed and then continued to drink. "So what have you been up to?"

"Katara is dating the prince." Sokka blurted.

"SOKKA." Katara squawked and Amaq started laughing.

 **A/N: For a look as to what Zuko was up to at the end of How Dragons Fall in Love, check out a mini series I posted on Tumblr: post/171331624175/meanwhile-part-1-love-and-respect**


	3. Reflections

Amaq changed the subject, asking Rin about her trip and then easing into a discussion about the industrial revolution. It was light conversation, and Katara couldn't remember ever seeing Rin so engaged. The woman had always been reserved to the point of coldness at times.

As they talked, the priest occasionally stepped aside to redirect some of the heat. Rin still shivered, and began slowly to bundle herself up again. Finally, when the cold became too much for her, Rin rose from her seat.

"It has been, nice, talking with you all. As it is, I need to retire to my rooms." She said. Amaq also stood out of respect for the visiting dignitary, and helped Rin with her blanket.

"Will we see you at dinner this evening ambassador?" He asked. Rin paused and looked over at the priest. Whatever passed between them was known only to them and Katara felt uneasy again.

"I don't think I could miss it." Rin finally answered.

They all stepped out into the hall. A palace servant and one of the Fire Nation guards were waiting. They said their goodbyes and watched as Rin and her retinue walked further into the palace. As Katara turned to face the others, she found Sokka walking away.

"Where are you going?" She asked, semi-accusingly. Sokka stopped and turned back.

"I'm meeting with Malina. We've been discussing architecture schools and she's been helping me draft a project." He shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I'll need to show them something if I want to get admitted."

"Pretty sure you could know bunk about buildings and still get in." Aang said with a laugh. Sokka shrugged again.

"Yes, but I actually want to do well. So I want them to know that I'm serious." He replied.

"I'm surprised Dad gave up on the lawyer thing so easily." Katara remarked and Sokka flashed her a wide smile.

"It's difficult to argue against architecture when your architect girlfriend is standing right next to you." He said. They laughed, but at the lull, Aang turned to Katara.

"Katara," Amaq spoke up suddenly. "I'm overseeing a small domestic dispute. Since you've been working with Kupun, would you mind looking it over for me?" Katara blinked as she slowly registered what he was saying.

"Oh. Sure." She said haltingly. "It'd be good practice."

"I'll see you guys tonight then." Sokka said, and then looked over at Aang. "Want to come with Aang? I'll need extra hands for the modelling." Aang looked from Sokka to Katara before sighing and walking away.

"Sure Sokka." The pair walked down the opposite end of the hall and Katara let out a breath.

"You're getting better at that." She stated and Amaq chuckled.

"I do actually have a dispute to make a judgement on, but I can handle it." He said and then paused for a moment. "I'd still appreciate it if you'd look it over, make sure it's fair." Katara nodded and they started down the hall the same way Rin had gone. It was quiet, as most of the people were out of the residential wing of the palace.

"What did you think of Rin?" Katara asked after they had walked a bit in companionable silence. Amaq hummed as he thought.

"I don't really know what to think. Se wasn't what I expected, certainly, but I'm guessing she won't be the typical kind of ambassador." He said. Katara couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I doubt the next one is going to have a group of friends already stationed here." She added.

"But that priest!" Amaq declaimed and Katara shuddered comically.

"Tell me about it! Your group is weird, but at least they're not so damably creepy."

"I appreciate what he's doing though." Amaq said soberly. "It's difficult in this day and age to maintain a religion, let alone resurrect one. Everything is about technology now. How we can improve ourselves materialistically."

"Did you hear about the massive factory boom in the Earth kingdom?"

"The Fire Nation had made insane advances in col and steam powered machines. It was only a matter of time after the peace for the schematics to be released. I'm dying to get some up here for oil processing." He paused for a beat, considering something. "So what happened in the Fire Nation?"

Katara sighed loudly, gutturally.

"It was a mess." She said. "Basically, Zuko wanted to find out what happened to his mother, but he needed to leverage his sister against his father to get a lead." She explained the events of her time in the Fire Nation, a story that sat between what the public had been told and the truth. Katara left out, of course, anything to do with her affair with Zuko.

When she spoke about the Mother of Faces, Amaq got excited, but let her continue. When she got to Chang's death, Katara choked up, and Amaq put his arm around her shoulders. When she finished, Amaq stayed quiet.

"What?" Katara asked, when Amaq still hadn't said anything.

"I want you to know that I do not in the least think your feelings on the matter are wrong." He started.

"What." Katara prompted flatly and Amaq squeezed her to him briefly.

"I just think Zuko did the right thing." He finished. Katara made a throaty sound in exasperation, pulling away from him.

"I know." She said forcefully. "I hate to admit it, but I know."

"Well then, I hope for your sake that it doesn't ruin your friendship."

"Oh?"

"I mean, selfishly, it's nice that the Tribes have the greatest foreign influence on the Fire Lord with you and your brother being so close to him. But, Katara, I already know how deeply you feel things, especially when you think they're unjust or hurtful. Losing your friend on top of losing Chang, I think, would really hurt you."

"I'm already hurt." Katara's voice was soft and Amaq stopped, pulling her into a hug. He rested his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her, while she kept her own hanging at her sides.

"I know." He said. "But you will heal. And if you recognize that Zuko did the right thing, then I would recommend that you work on maintaining the friendship until you're ready to move on."

"So forgive and work on forgetting?"

"Sure."

Katara smiled and relaxed into Amaq's body.

"You are far too reasonable by half." She said.

"Comes from years of practice. I used to be a complete bastard." Katara laughed softly and pulled away enough to look up at him.

"Can we go to the Spirit Oasis?" She asked.

"Of course." He replied and kissed her forehead before releasing her. The touching had been a new revelation for her. In public, it was all purely for show. But between them, Katara found herself slightly touch starved. Knowing it was completely platonic, Katara drew his touch around her like a warm blanket.

"Do you think it'll be like last time?" She asked as they started wandering through the halls again.

"I hope so!" Amaq answered, half laughing as he spoke.

The last time, being the first time, had been overwhelming.

Amaq belonged to a religious order called the Followers of the Atka. They sought to preserve the spiritual culture of the Poles while also revitalizing the presence at the Southern Oasis. Katara, not being from the center of the South Pole, had never been there, but she had heard of the large, dark forest growing amid the ice and snow.

The Followers were, odd. Katara did not feel very comfortable around them and often avoided conversing with them alone. But they were harmless, just a group of middle aged Ice Villagers concerned with the spirits.

Katara did, however, find them entertaining in regards to Aang.

When the Avatar had touted the line about him being the bridge between humans and the spirits, one Follower had quickly retorted:

"Why would we need you when we've been guarding the portals for hundreds of years?"

Despite their inactive state, the Followers seemed proud of their presumed stewardship. Amaq, too, was irritated with the idea that the Avatar was the sole communicator to the spirits.

"Why are the portals here, in Water Tribe territory then? Why not at the Air Temples?" He had remarked with no small degree of bitterness. "Don't get me wrong Katara, Aang is a nice guy and I will always have the utmost respect for the Avatar but…"

"But he can be an insufferable egotistical ass sometimes." Katara finished and Amaq had laughed in agreement.

The Followers were interested in how to enter the Spirit World. They spent a good portion of a day working with Aang on how he had managed to cross over. Even Sokka had gotten dragged in, though he had been abducted and taken bodily into the Spirit World, thus being of no help.

In what would be the first secret shared between them, Amaq admitted that he had gone into the Spirit World under the guidance of the Followers.

"They're trying to find a way to open the portals, to bring a balance between our two worlds." He explained. It was something that was held tightly under wraps, as much of the world still feared the unknown possibility of both worlds being open. It was also assumed that the Avatar would not condone the action, seeing it as an act of subversion.

"So they're sending you in to scope it out?" Katara asked.

"Honestly, they wanted to see if it was possible for someone to even manage the crossing. We know that the former Regent Iroh was able to, and some older Masters, but none in recent memory from the North Pole." Amaq clarified. "I've been a rock they're throwing through the veil."

Amaq said that there were three planes that could be occupied. One was the material world, where they existed now. The second was a liminal plane, one that could be accessed by spirits and projections of humans. This was where Aang had spent some time with Avatar Roku, being able to see the material world in real time but unable to directly interact with it. Bending did not work in the liminal plane.

The third was the Spirit World. A projection there was only as strong as the mental will of the human meditating in the material plane. In the Spirit World, the topography was completely different, as one would no longer be interacting with the material world. Here, though, a projection could interact with the physical properties of the Spirit World. Bending still would not work.

"If death occurs in the material world once a projection has been sent out, the connection is severed completely. The soul can never return to the material world nor can it move on." Amaq said gravely and Katara had felt a little sick. She had known that if Aang had been killed while his spirit was in the Spirit World, it would mean that the Avatar cycle would be broken, same as if he had been killed in the Avatar State.

And for Water Tribals, it was believed that the spirit brought the name to the body, not the other way round. So when a child was named after one who had died, it was known that this was the spirit's next reincarnation. If Katara died when her spirit was out of her body, she would never be able to come back in another life, but would be trapped forever in the Spirit World.

"But we'll be perfectly safe obviously. The Fire Nation isn't likely to breach the Oasis again." Amaq had assured her and Katara felt much of the unease pass. There would be risks to anything worth attempting, and the lure of going into the Spirit World was too tempting to resist.

Two weeks after her arrival, Amaq had taken her to the Spirit Oasis.

She had learned to meditate, of course, as Aang had taught her. And while working with Healer Nukilik she had learned how to focus inward, to know herself from top to tip. It was a mix of both, to expand beyond one's boundaries while still holding firm to the outline of the self, that got Amaq from one plane to another.

"I have to warn you," Amaq said seriously as they settled next to the pond where Tui and La swam. "In the Spirit World, you are no longer your physical self but your spiritual self. Your emotions will be, more potent."

Katara calmed herself, cleared her mind, and began working through her chakras. While Aang had worked with a guru to unlock his, Katara used hers as a way to ground while also letting go. Most of them were rooted in her body, and attached to specific emotions, so by the time she reached the top, the chakra of her spirit, she was fairly confident that she had a handle on things.

And suddenly, she felt herself shift sideways.

Opening her eyes, Katara first noticed a glow in front of her. She crawled over to the edge of the pond and peered into the water. Tui and La were still there, but had tripled in size. Their fins were also billowing, like the hem of a full skirt caught in a gentle tide. Their scales glowed and Katara gasped softly at the image.

"It's just their projection. They still only exist in the physical plane." Katara looked up over her shoulder and saw Amaq smiling down at her.

Behind his head were large creatures flying with a variety of wings. Katara continued to gasp as Amaq held out a hand. She took it and he pulled her up, while she kept her eyes on the creatures around them.

"It's a lot to take in." He said.

"It's just so…" Katara lost the words as she looked around. Creatures hugged the edges of shadows and tree trunks around them, but left a wide berth. Some of them vaguely resemble animals she had seen, while most were creatures of pure fancy.

"Katara, are you okay?" Amaq asked softly. Katara looked up at him and saw that Amaq looked worried.

"You're so BIG." She said and Amaq's frown only deepened.

"Katara, you're small." He said. Looking down, Katara saw the hand Amaq held. His hand enveloped a small, pudgy one. Katara pulled it back and held both up in front of her, noting the dimples in the fat hands.

"I'm scared." Katara said, matter-of-factly, but as she looked back up at Amaq, she began to cry.

Scooping her up, Amaq whispered soothing noises into her ear. He held her against his chest and started to rock her. Katara's cries came out like hiccups and she could feel tears falling down her face.

"It's okay, I'm here. I won't leave you. You're safe. They won't hurt you." Amaq began a mantra that looped again and again, all the while lightly patting her back as he rocked. Katara calmed, curling herself into his shoulder and sniffling. When she stopped crying, Amaq set her back down.

"You know I'm being honest right Katara?" She looked at him, and saw him. She saw all of his petty frustrations, his aspirations, his grief, and his happiness. She saw his fear for her.

Katara nodded.

"How do I make myself, big?" She asked. Amaq smiled and Katara saw his shoulders relax.

"You just have to feel more like yourself, I think." He said. "Let's walk around." Amaq took her hand again, this time to act as a guide when she ultimately began to look everywhere but where she was walking.

"There are so many plants." She remarked.

"More than I've seen in my life." Amaq added.

"You have to see the Earth Kingdom. Or even the Fire Nation. The Fire Nation has the most beautiful flowers." Katara said. She remembered flowers in her hair and she felt warmer.

"Well." Amaq said, startled. "You seem to be back to yourself already." Katara looked down at herself, finding that she had grown, and turned away, embarrassed.

Trekking through the Spirit World, Katara just kept repeating her comments of wonder. The trees were massive, with crimson leaves. The grass under their feet was the color of blue-green gems. Whirring bugs the size of her hand at the smallest jumped out of the grass when she got too close.

Going deeper into the forest, Katara began to hear voices. They were low, murmuring in groups too far out of range for her to pick out any words. But the spirits were talking.

"Should we be worried?" Katara asked when she pointed them out. Amaq looked around an shrugged.

"I don't think so. But let's head back to the pond just to be safe." He said. As they turned, there came a sudden rushing sound. It was like the wind of a giant storm, bringing a tornado.

"What is that?" Katara yelled, holding her arms up to keep debris from flying into her face.

"I don't-" Amaq stopped abruptly and then grabbed her arm. "RUN!" They ran, the sound of the rushing wind still screaming around them.

Fear pounded through Katara and she tried to focus on her path. It was as if Amaq was lifting her off the ground, as her feet seemed to dance over the roots of the massive trees.

She managed to look back once.

There was, rushing toward them, a twisting, writhing form of glinting scales and shining claws. A giant maw full of large teeth was open and Katara couldn't tell if that was the origin of the howling wind.

It felt like it was calling.

Calling to her.

"Amaq, wait." She struggled to get the words out, and even then they were lost over the volume of the wind.

They broke through the treeline and the wind suddenly died. They stopped, only a few feet from the glowing pond. There was complete silence and even the airy spirits were absent from the clearing.

"What was that?" Amaq asked aloud and Katara looked back again. The spirit was gone.

"I think it wanted something." She said.

"I'm not sure that 'something' was harmless." Amaq replied.

As Katara opened her mouth to reply, the pond exploded.

Water and glinting light spewed up in a massive column. Amaq pulled Katara to him while also stepping in front of her. Without their Bending, she wondered what exactly he was thinking he could do against a spirit that size.

Or any size really.

Water fell back to the ground in a brief but heavy rain. Katara felt it, but when the rain passed, she did not feel wet.

Rising from the pond, was a very large silver dragon.

It undulated in its curled form, and it's long whiskers floated in the air. It didn't have any wings but Katara doubted that would really impact whether it could fly or not.

Katara stepped out from behind Amaq and the dragon spirit lowered itself, growing smaller, so that when it laid its two massive claws on the ground, it stood only about three times Katara's height.

"That was very rude." Katara said and Amaq made a strained noise. "You could have injured Tui and La." The dragon turned to look under its back end, still in the pond, and then looked back at Katara.

"They do not exist here." The dragon said simply. It did not move its mouth, though it was slightly open anyway, but it spoke nonetheless.

"Well, you shouldn't have chased after us." Katara replied.

"You are not supposed to be here." The dragon retorted.

"We're friends of the Avatar."

"I don't care. He's not supposed to be here either. _Humans_ are not permitted."

"So what are you going to do? Eat us?" The dragon laughed, a large, booming laugh.

"You are Waterbenders?" It asked. Katara looked back at Amaq, who was just staring at the dragon. With a shrug, Katara turned back to the dragon.

"I mean, normally." She answered. The dragon huffed, its warm breath rushing over her and making Katara flinch.

"Then you are mine. I would not eat you. I need you." It said.

"Need us? For what?" Katara questioned.

"In time wyrmling. Go back now. I will see you soon." The dragon, moving sinuously, barreled toward them. Flinching again, Katara felt herself stiffen.

Gasping, her eyes flew open.

It was dark.

"Katara?" They were both up, hands reaching for each other.

"That was-"

"I've never-"

"How did it-?"

"What do you think-?"

They babbled over each other, interspersing each statement with hysterical laughter. Remembering the pond, Katara turned sharply toward the pond.

"Katara!" She was lightheaded and lost her footing. As she tipped over the edge, Amaq caught her by the arm and pulled her back, spinning her around. One hand on her arm, his other arm went around her waist to anchor her. Her hands went to his chest and she felt her wits snap back into place.

"Careful." He said softly.

She heard footsteps on wood. Reaching up, Katara put her arms around his neck and pulled Amaq down in a kiss.

Amaq froze in surprise but quickly relaxed, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

"Seriously?" They broke apart and Amaq once again stepped forward.

"Avatar." He said, sounding more like a statement than a greeting.

"So what about your love affair in the Fire Nation?" Aang asked derisively as he walked over to them. Katara sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't aware that Master Katara was engaged." Amaq said carefully.

"She's not." Aang retorted.

"Then what's the problem?" Amaq inquired. Aang looked from him to Katara, who was momentarily stunned.

"You're just going to throw yourself at the first available guy just to spite me?" He demanded.

"Not everything is about you Aang." She spat back.

"Oh please. You expect me to believe that you're suddenly into the guy everyone wants you to end up with? He's exactly the endgame you've been trying to avoid!" Aang yelled.

"To be fair," Amaq interjected. "I think she's got a thing for older guys." Katara snorted as Aang sputtered.

Aang stalked off and Katara sat down next to the pond. Amaq waited till Aang had left the oasis before sitting next to her.

"So." He started and Katara smiled ruefully.

"I did just throw myself at you to spite him." She replied.

"Well don't spare my feelings or anything." Katara glanced up at him, worried, but chuckled when she saw his grin.

"I'm sorry, really, but I just couldn't get him off my back." She said.

"It's okay, really. I've been wondering how I could convince you to pretend to be interested in me so I could get my parents off mine." Katara laughed harder.

"Really?" Amaq nodded as she continued to laugh.

"For weeks my parents have been pushing me to make sure I get close to you when you got here. And, remember, this is before we found out you were no longer with the Avatar."

"Oh man, and I thought I was going to have a hard time with this visit."

"It's not too bad. You're at least an attractive person." Katara sobered and quieted.

"Amaq, I," She faltered but continued. "I'm in love with someone else."

"The aforementioned Fire Nation love affair?" Amaq asked. Katara, not wanting to lie outright, simply nodded. "That's alright. I just said you were attractive, not that I was in love with you." Katara stuck out her tongue and Amaq shook his head.

"Would you really want to pretend?" She finally asked.

"Katara, nothing would make me happier than to fake court you." He answered.

"Maybe we should."

"Really?"

"I mean, you're right. It would certainly make things easier." Already two weeks in, Katara had been seeing an obvious attempt to manipulate her time with Amaq. And even in her lessons with Master Kupuk, many scenarios of law was presented to her as if she was the co-ruler of the United Poles and not the semi-independent chief of the South Pole.

"Well then," Amaq stood and held out both of his hands. "Master Katara, may I have the privilege of courting you?"

"Amaq, this is so sudden." Katara said in mock shock. Grinning, she put her hands in his and he pulled her to her feet. "But how could I refuse such an earnest request?"

They both started laughing and Amaq looked past Katara toward the pond.

"Seriously though. Are we going to talk about the dragon?"


	4. Return Trip

The Spirit Oasis was warm. At least, compared to the eternal frozen night outside. Katara and Amaq paused on one of the bridges that connected to the small, grassy island. There was the constant sound of water trickling as the glacier walls slowly, infinitesimally melted due to the climate.

"This time, when we come out, we have to try not to get engaged." Amaq said and Katara stifled a laugh.

"Courting me hasn't been that bad has it?" Katara quipped. Amaq studied her, and Katara suddenly felt very visible under his gaze.

"It's getting worse." He replied. She didn't know how to respond, not sure if he was kidding or not, and Amaq walked away before she could pull her thoughts into something substantial.

"Do you think we'll see the dragon again?" Katara asked instead as she followed after him.

"I suspect so. It seemed keen on getting to you." He answered. That was another of their secrets; at Katara's insistence, Amaq hadn't even told the Followers that they had met a dragon spirit, though he did report that Katara had made an even quicker transition into the Spirit World.

"I'd like to know what it wants." Katara said.

"I'd like to know what it meant by calling you 'wyrmling.'" Amaq replied.

They sat next to the pond and they both took simultaneous deep breaths. The air was sweet here, emanating from the grass and even perhaps from the presence of Tui and La. Underneath this was something more earthy and fecund. It was odd to smell dirt in a place of ice, and Katara felt an odd twinge of homesickness every time she came here.

Closing her eyes, Katara felt her body begin to drift. It was easier to lose herself when she was at either pole. Here she could feel the ice as a looming presence around her. She could feel the freshwater running down the melting walls like cold syrup. There was even the water oozing through the roots of the flora around her.

Finally, as always, she became aware of the blood.

Her pulse and Amaq's thudded softly in tandem. She could feel the shape of him next to her from how the blood flowed through his body. His torso, his neck, and the inside of his legs emitted warmth from where large avenues of blood raced outward. There was almost no difference between him and the thin blades of grass they sat on. She could tug and pull on his blood as easily as she could the water in the delicate greenery.

Katara let out a long breath, feeling her lungs empty of air. Tension fled from her body and she focused on the larger pull around them. The moon on the ice, the water, and their bodies.

As she was rocked by this tidal pull, Katara leaned into it. Feeling that familiar sidestep, Katara opened her eyes. The floating, flying spirits were back, though many darted away at her arrival.

Standing, Katara waited for Amaq to appear. She wasn't as awestruck this time, though that hardly meant she was acclimated to the Spirit World.

"I don't know how you manage this so easily." Amaq said when he appeared next to her. They rose from the grass and Katara automatically brushed off her backside.

"I've been wandering with the Avatar for years. Somethings were bound to rub off." Katara replied.

"Show off." Katara shoved at Amaq's shoulder and he chuckled. They started walking back toward the forest, with the knobby branches and the bulbous leaves shading the thinly worn path they walked.

The spirits around them rustled through the trees and long grass, the fluttering of wings sounding like a deck of cards being rapidly shuffled. A few wafted overhead like jellyfish floating through an oxygen ocean. They were all sorts of colours, some clashing vibrantly against the forest. It was difficult to ignore them but it proved equally impossible to watch them all. Many of the ones with intelligent eyes darted away from them, only to peek at them from behind gnarled tree trunks.

Many of the unseen ones had begun whispering again.

"Do you think it's a problem that we're here?" Katara asked warily.

"Because of what the dragon said?" Katara nodded and Amaq sighed. "I don't know. Do you think the Mother of Faces crosses between worlds?"

"I'm not actually sure. From what Sokka said, Hei Bai could only move through the liminal plane and ours, while we know Tui and La are bound to the physical world."

"Well the dragon said it would see us again so either it was going to cross into our world or we were supposed to come back."

"I am not an it." Katara and Amaq jumped at the sudden voice. Coming out from a thick band of trees was the large, serpentine body of the silver dragon. "I am a she." The dragon concluded.

"Our apologies. We're not used to seeing dragons." Amaq said. The dragon growled in disdain.

"I am aware of how you have forgotten me." She grumbled. Katara and Amaq glanced at each other, unsure of how to continue. "You both are Waterbenders yes?" She asked again.

"Yes your ladyship." Amaq answered and the dragon snorted.

"Yes, you should revere me. You would not have your powers if it were not for me." She replied.

"But the, you mean, Waterbending?" Amaq sputtered. The dragon crossed her front claws and laid her head down, somehow looking bored and leisurely.

"Yes, yes. Your Bending is my gift to you beautiful children." She answered primly.

"I thought, the moon?" Amaq drifted and looked over at Katara again. The dragon snorted again, derisively, and shook her head.

"Eh? You think Tui and La cared so much they taught you beings? They only care about each other. The moon only sees the ocean." The dragon laughed, as if she had made a joke. "No, it was Aivilayoq who taught you." The dragon, Aivilayoq, seemed to preen.

"Thank you?" Katara said hesitantly and Aivilayoq hissed out steam.

"You are welcome beautiful children. Now, you will help me." She replied.

"Uhhhhh." Katara intoned and looked helplessly at Amaq.

"How can we be of service?" Amaq asked. Aivilayoq rose and dug her claws into the dirt.

"You need to find my egg. And I want to leave this place to find my Shapash." She answered.

"Your egg?" Amaq asked at the same time Katara repeated, "Shapash?"

"Shapash taught the Firebenders. She loved them too much and she stayed in the physical world. Like Tui and La." Aivilayoq spoke the spirits' names in a mocking sort of way. "Before I left, I put my egg in a safe place. It is time for you to find it."

"Firebenders?" Amaq repeated as Katara asked, "Where?"

"It is in the South Pole. There is so much activity going on there, you will find it. Like you found the Avatar!" Aivilayoq added cheerfully.

"How?" They both asked together.

"I do not know. This is not my problem. You will go and find my egg and get me out of here. It is the least you can do after I have been so generous." Aivilayoq replied impatiently.

"The South Pole is fairly large." Katara stated. "Do you have any idea where it might be?"

"I liked the forest. I do not know. It was a long time ago." Aivilayoq huffed. "You will find it, wyrmling."

"Why do you call me that?" Katara asked. Aivilayoq's jaws snapped shut and steam started to trickle out from between her lips.

"You are my young one." She said without moving her mouth.

"I'm human." Now Aivilayoq laughed, a rolling, rumbling sound that emulated velvet covered marbles clattering against each other.

"You know what shapes a dragon may take." She replied and Katara felt herself blush furiously.

"We agree to help you Great Lady." Amaq said suddenly and Aivilayoq's blue-silver eyes rolled over to him. "Though I'm not sure how."

"I hope you will prove capable." Aivilayoq stated and then pulled herself up. She looked down upon them, observing them both passively. "I will leave you to this garden." Then, much like a ribbon picked up by a playful gust, Aivilayoq flew twisting over herself up into the sky.

Katara and Amaq watched her go till she bled into the metallic blue-gray of the sky.

"So." Amaq drew the word out so Katara lowered her gaze to look at him. "Something has you all riled up." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and Katara bristled.

"What are you talking about?" She shot back.

"Katara, you're damn near glowing with lust." Amaq turned to her fully and Katara felt herself warm.

"N-no!" Katara stammered, crossing her arms over her chest in a huff. Amaq laughed and she glowered at him.

"I'm not judging! I'm just curious." He replied. Katara looked at him, again found no sign of guile, and let out a heavy breath. She lowered her arms and started pacing.

"I just, miss… him." Katara muttered.

"The man who shall not be named?" Amaq asked and she smiled.

"Yeah." Apparently, Aivilayoq's meeting with the two of them sent some sort of signal to other spirits, and a few small ones began floating over to them.

"Katara," Amaq started gently. "You know you can talk to me, if you want. I am your friend, I won't get jealous." She looked at him, examined him, and finally sighed. Holding out her hands, one of the small spirits settled into her cupped palms. It felt lighter than a ball of dust, but just as wispy.

"It's just so complicated." Pulling her hands in, she watched the spirit. It resembled a jellyfish, without the tentacles.

"Because he's Fire Nation?"

"Because of who he is." Katara made a growling exclamation, startling the spirit, and it floated away. "It's just so petty!"

"Petty or not, it's obviously bothering you."

"I'm just tired of being ranked second to a man's ambition." Katara felt herself sink a little. "I just want to feel like the most important thing in the world."

"Well, is he the most important thing in yours?" Katara, surprised, straightened.

"No." She paused. "No he isn't." She shook her head. "But, I would still walk away from my plans for him.

"Really? The chance to help your people? To lead and change things? You would walk away from your home?" Amaq's tone was firm, but not critical.

"Maybe that's why it's so easy for me. I can still do those things if I'm with him." She paused again, thinking. "But he would have to abandon everything for me."

"That is a heady thing to ask of a man."

"I know." As she calmed, more of the small dust spirits approached her. "But I want to feel worth it."

Maybe it was because her dreams were not so unreasonable, they didn't demand her complete devotion. Aang wanting to rebuild a culture required total commitment, and this was on top of anything that might arise that was Avatar worthy. Currently, he was restoring all of the Air Temples - renovating the cosmetic features of the Northern Air Temple while leaving it almost completely to The Mechanist - and overseeing the education of the new Air Acolytes. It had only been a few years since the "fan club" had been re-named, but the membership had increased dramatically. Even after finding out how ascetic and involved the process was, only a few abandoned the cause.

There was also the rooting out of the "Lost Ones." Aang had once explained to the group that the Air Nomads, being so much more enlightened than everyone else, had no problems with same sex relationships. Polyamory wasn't unheard of, and many monks and nuns had taken up lovers in other nations.

"Wouldn't that mean that there are other Airbenders out there?" Sokka had asked.

It shouldn't have been a surprise. Oftentimes, when a child produced from a brief affair turned out to be an Airbender, the mother would send them to the closest Air Temple. Surely, Sokka posited, there would have been a least few women who were either pregnant or with small children who hid.

So far, Aang hadn't had any luck, though it was still slow getting news into remote areas. It was rumored that when a village in the Earth Kingdom had been found and informed they were free from the Fire Nation threat, the villagers hadn't even known there was a war.

All of this - the rebuilding, the training, and the searching - took up everything he had. There was nothing left for Katara and it's how she slowly became a walking womb to him. She was there to bear his vision: the resurrection of the Air Nomads.

Zuko was hardly any different. He was trying to stabilize his country with only his uncle as a political ally. He was trying to heal himself, his family, and his country after the ravages of war had worn them down for a lifetime. Four lifetimes. It was like he was holding together the pieces of a broken vase and willing them to glue themselves together.

He loved her, Katara knew it. But unless she was able to help, he could not spare the time to actively be with her. And she, being who she was, couldn't stand beside him. It would be a relationship of secrets and shadows, till one of them dropped something. Deep in her heart, Katara knew he would drop her before letting go of the broken vase.

They would be known forever. The Avatar that stopped a global war. The Fire Lord that removed his godhead. She was only Master Katara, the greatest Waterbender of her generation. Even if she walked away from any leadership role, Katara knew she could still influence how things would evolve in the tribes. After meeting Amaq, she was more certain of progress coming for her people.

Famous, sure, but not world changing.

Maybe she just wanted to feel as important as the men she loved.

"You think highly of love." Amaq said, holding out his hand to the spirits that were beginning to swarm. Katara glanced at him curiously.

"You don't?"

"No." He said simply. He gently cupped a spirit and brought his hand closer to examine it. "It takes me too long to fall for a woman. I really need to get to know her before I'm comfortable enough to have feelings. I don't know if there's something wrong with me or what, but I would rather be friends with someone than be their lover."

"That doesn't seem too bad."

"Oh? So how are you handling the pressure and scrutiny to marry and produce an heir?" Amaq sighed, blowing away the spirit in his hand. "I just want to be normal."

"Me too. There are dozens of women who wish they were in my place, and I just can't find the way to be happy."

"You're really selling me on this love thing." Aamq quipped, making Katara laugh.

"Have you never been in love then?" She questioned. Amaq started to walk toward the treeline and Katara watched him shrug.

"No. And I'm not particularly bothered by that." He answered. Katara strode through the cloud of dusty spirits and got next to him.

"Is this weird? The courting thing we're doing?" They started down the path, where they were headed the last time before Aivilayoq intercepted them. The bigger spirits were staring more openly at them now.

"Not at all. In fact, it's done nothing but reap benefits. When you ultimately leave me for this unnamed mystery man I can claim to be emotionally devastated and not be expected to court for awhile." He explained and Katara gaped at him.

"How callous I am." She scoffed.

"You're a regular maneater." Amaq retorted with mock severity. They both laughed and walked quietly down the path for a moment.

"I just don't know how it would work. We're so different. And I wouldn't be able to live so," Katara spun her hands as she felt out a word. "Publicly."

Amaq, knowing who she was referencing, nodded.

"In a few generations, I'm sure most of the world will be half Earth Kingdom by blood. So why should it be weird for you to be with a Fire Nation guy?"

"Well," Katara drew out the word, stalling. "He's… political."

"Ah." Amaq hesitated in his stride, but resumed as he continued speaking. "This changes the context of your earlier issue." Katara chuckled.

"Yeah. See, for me, the South Pole isn't used to having a head chief, so it won't be a problem if my dad is succeeded by someone else. But," She drifted.

"Your beau would be walking away from a position his family has held for generations." Amaq finished tactfully.

"And he's had it beaten into his head that it's his destiny. Like the luck of birth order has any impact on how you should live your life."

"Destiny is a tricky thing." Amaq countered. "Sometimes what seems to be an accident is actually the lynchpin for future events. It was either destiny or total coincidence that the iceberg containing the Avatar floated into your village's fishing waters. Where the sole Waterbender could come out and lose her temper." Katara glared at him.

"Thanks." She said, her voice low and tight. Amaq only smiled at her.

"It's hard, and I get it. It's difficult for me to think that it was destiny for my parents to be killed. Or your mother. Because I would trade everything I've gained in life to have my parents back. So it's easier to think, to believe that these were all just accidents that just so happened to lead us to these greater moments.

"But, I don't know, it's a pretty big accident to have things play out in precisely the right way to result in the things they did."

"Up until very recently you didn't know it was your destiny to be prince." Katara pointed out.

"Perhaps I wasn't meant to. In order to be the me that I am, maybe I needed to live my life thinking I'd end up as a soldier." Amaq replied.

"Maybe I just need to fall for people with less important destinies." She sighed.

"I don't think you could if you tried." Amaq scoffed. "You are a force of nature and you're not looking for a partner to overshadow. Unfortunately, I don't know of many men with prestige as great as yours."

Katara made a noise in exasperation.

"People seem to be content thinking we're together." She stated.

"That's because if we became the joint rulers of the United Poles, we would be the most imposing ruling couple of our time." He sounded so sure that Amaq sounded less cocky and more like he was telling her the time.

"Yeah?" Katara asked, laughing a little.

"Whomever the Fire Lord and Earth King mary will not have any real power. Even if you and I don't marry, you will still be a ruler in your own right."

"But still your vassal."

"You think? Because I'm pretty confident that within five years of you gaining the chiefdom, the South Pole would declare independence. In all honesty, if I wanted to keep them together, I should be doing a much better job in courting you." Katara erupted into laughter, forcing them to stop walking.

Leaning against a tree, Katara wiped at her eyes and looked to Amaq.

"What are we going to do?" She asked.

"Apparently, we're going to find a dragon egg."

Getting back to the Spirit Oasis, Katara and Amaq stayed by the pool in silent contemplation. They had agreed that Amaq should tell the Followers about Aivilayoq. They had members in the South Pole, working on archiving folk customs and generally surveying the Spirit Oasis there. If anyone was going to be able to tell them where to start looking for Aivilayoq's egg, it would be one of the Followers.

Katara wasn't thrilled about the idea, though she understood and agreed with the principal. Something about the Followers bugged her. It was probably a holdover with her discomfort with the Air Acolytes; the matching robes and tattooing was enough of a comparison to make her worry about zealotry. The Air Acolytes did not care about anything that wasn't connected to the Air Nomads. Similarly, the Followers of the Atka seemed to be solely concerned with the spirits.

More on the surface of her mind, was her conversation with Amaq. She wondered if she was doomed to fall for men with a higher calling, always to be pushed to the side to destiny.

She wondered if love was enough to sustain her, and if the absence of it would kill her. To be with Aang would give her freedom, and she had loved him, once. Zuko could give her passion and a love that burned more brightly than the sun. But he could never marry her.

Amaq could marry her. But they would never be in love.

What was the difference between loving someone and being in love with them?

Katara sighed, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. Amaq put his arm around her and gave her a quick squeeze. Staying in his embrace, he began to absently rub her arm.

"We'll find it." He murmured and Katara leaned away from him to look at him.

"Eh?" She replied and Amaq turned his head.

"Aivilayoq's egg."

"Oh right. Yes." They resumed their positions and Katara laid her head on Amaq.

At least one of them had their priorities straight.


	5. Brother and Sister

It was a few days before anything further happened. Amaq told Katara that the Followers were very interested in speaking with her about their visits to the Spirit World, though it was something that she was putting off. She was also avoiding Rin.

There wasn't any specific reason as to why she was sidestepping the ambassador, only that Katara just, didn't want to. The letters that Rin had delivered to the apartment still sat on Katara's writing desk, untouched. There was a knot of anxiety and guilt that formed every time she looked at them, and it wasn't only Zuko that had written to her.

It felt like she was once again walking through a liminal space. The North Pole was insulated from everything that she had been dealing with in her life recently, but also offered a different direction. Not any less complicated, but different.

The fourth day after Rin's arrival, a messenger from the palace arrived with an invitation. Hakoda was out, spending the next two days at Malina's residence, and so it was Sokka who knocked on the inside of Katara's door frame. She looked up from her desk - having pushed her correspondence to the side so she could go over charters - and gestured for him to enter.

Sokka dropped a large package on the corner of her desk, sending unopened letters and parchments flying. As Katara balked, he held out a small card.

"What is this?" She asked as she snatched the card from him. Sokka shrugged and leaned against the wall next to her.

"Dunno. A messenger dropped it off for you." He replied. Katara looked the card over and sighed. Sokka cocked an eyebrow as she slumped back in her seat. "Bad news?"

"Rin wants me to come over for tea." Katara answered and tossed the card onto her desk.

"I thought you liked Rin?" Sokka said hesitantly and Katara groaned as she rubbed her face.

"I do, it's just," Katara started from behind her hands. She slid them down, her fingertips covering her lips, but looked up at Sokka. "I don't want to talk about what happened."

"Then don't." He replied. Katara groaned again and put her head to the desk. Sokka sighed and walked over to lightly pat her back. "Want me to go with you?"

"Yes." Katara said after a pause. She turned onto her cheek to look at him again. "Sokka, am I selfish?" Sokka's hand hovered in the air for a second before he let it fall onto her back with a soft thud.

"In what context." He prompted and Katara sighed.

"That means there's a context where I am." She muttered.

"Sure, but selfishness isn't always bad." Sokka walked away and Katara sat up to watch him sit on the edge of her bed. "You can't save someone from drowning till you're out of the water."

Katara turned sideways and leaned on the back of the chair.

"I feel like what I'm doing, with my relationships and even with this chief thing, I'm being completely self serving." She said as she crossed her arms over the back of the chair.

"Is everything okay with Amaq?" Sokka asked. Katara snorted and rolled her eyes.

"That is what you ask about?" She quipped.

"Hey, I'm curious. He's an attractive guy."

"Do you just make it a mission to crush on all of Arnook's children?"

"I stand by what I said." Katara laughed and Sokka grinned at her.

"I just don't have any feelings for him." She admitted.

"Well, that was obvious."

"Oh?"

"I've seen you with Aang remember?" Katara made a face but nodded. "Are you still thinking of marrying him?"

"Who said anything about marriage?"

"Katara, it's all anyone talks about in the city. Everyone is waiting for Amaq to present a necklace any day." Sokka replied and Katara's hand instantly went to her throat.

"I'm just…" She drifted and her hand lowered.

"In love with someone else?" Katara sat upright, shocked.

"How did you?"

"Aang told me. Apparently you met someone in the palace when we were visiting Zuko." Katara felt her pulse quicken and she had to keep herself from gripping the chair.

"I." Katara sputtered. Sokka held up a hand to stop her.

"Look, I don't know if you're selfish. You are allowed to want what you want, but people are also allowed to make their own demands. Relationships, of any kind, require compromise. Either on one person's side or between both. If I told Suki I needed to eat stewed sea-prunes every single day, I'm allowed to have that requirement. If she says no, I either have to reevaluate, attempt to compromise, or walk away. Maybe I don't need them _every_ day, maybe I do and Suki is a horrible girlfriend and I find someone else who will bathe me in sea-prunes." Katara snorted and Sokka stood up from the bed. "You need to let people say no. You need to be able to give a little bit and understand that decent people aren't going to use that to walk all over you. You have your agency, absolutely, but don't deny other people theirs."

"So I am selfish." Katara muttered and rested her chin on the chair. Sokka walked over and kissed the top of her head.

"Like I said, that's not always a bad thing. Just, if someone means the world to you, you might need to make a few concessions."

"Where did wise Sokka come from?" Katara asked.

"I've always been your big brother Katara," Sokka started to walk out of the room, but glanced back at her. "You just needed to start trusting me." Katara watched him leave before turning back to her desk. She eyed the large package Sokka had dropped and pulled it to her as she righted herself in her seat.

She unwrapped the parcel and smiled as she lifted back part of the thick paper.

It was the book about North Pole folklore that she had been reading in the palace.

Smoothing out the paper under the book, Katara opened the cover and flipped through the pages. A loose sheaf jutted out and Katara slowly tugged it out.

 _Dearest Katara,_

Katara shut her eyes and laid the letter back down. There was a knot of pain in her chest, radiating out along the lines of her ribcage. Being close to Zuko, the answer seemed so easy. She could envision traversing those secret tunnels, quiet moments stolen in a dark room, and gossiping servants.

She could also perfectly picture the dangers of a jealous wife, children who didn't know their father, and the potential for exile.

With a sigh, Katara stood from the desk. Dealing with him on any sort of capacity threatened her liminal space. She still needed time to prioritize things, to figure out what it was she was wanting from her life. It was getting a little exhausting going back and forth.

Holding onto the doorframe, Katara leaned into the hallway.

"Hey Sokka, you did say you'd go with me right?"

Katara sent a reply for tea and the next day she walked to the palace with Sokka.

The moon was bright. It seemed to shine brighter in the Dark Season than any other time, and in any other part of the world. But perhaps that was just due to her isolation; the darkness was all she could remember now and no longer seemed so dark or pressing. Somewhere, in some primeval part of her, Katara felt that they would see the sun soon. It was like walking toward a bonfire, the edges of her sense of the world started to feel just a bit warmer. The ever present night sky, however, seemed just as dense as ever.

Shivering as her thoughts fell to the present, Sokka reached out and gathered her under his arm. Even through the many layers he wore, Katara could still feel the steady pulse of his heart. It was like the ocean surrounding them, salt warmed and circulating, so she could always feel that tide. Now as she found herself unconsciously counting his heartbeats, she remembered when they had almost stopped.

Azula had done so much damage, but now everyone was going on like normal. She had almost killed her family, had killed Chang, and been the root of so much turmoil in the Fire Nation that threatened Zuko's life. How could he have supported her? To offer her a freedom that Azula had denied him?

Looking up, Katara saw how Sokka's face was losing its youthful roundness and was starting to resemble their father's visage. Sokka had given up on shaving earlier in the week and Katara noted the full beard that was starting to grow.

When had they stopped being children?

And when was the last time that they hadn't thought themselves grown?

They were jostled and Katara faced forward again. Someone murmured a hurried apology, but they were soon lost to the crowd. It was the middle of the waking hours and there was a good number of people moving along the walkways. Even in this season there was still work to be done. At the frozen harbor, Katara had watched as boats were being repaired and sealed, while large trunks of wood were laid out in the centers of neighborhoods, slowly becoming new canoes.

Many young boys, and a few girls Katara happily saw, were in charge of collecting the wooly Ovis herds and bringing them into the city to be sheltered. Whale blubber was collected during the summer and was now being refined to either be bottled or processed further into some other export.

And, always, there was courting.

Because of how ardent, passionate, and insistent Water Tribe courting was on the male side, there had been a cultural decision that they women had to be "protected." Eligible women did not go out without an escort. Even after a formal betrothal, women did not leave their familial home to keep them from being taken by a rival courtier, or any other scandal.

That didn't stop the men from trying though.

Sokka and Katara found themselves incapable of crossing a bridge as it had been taken over by a group of young men. At the center of the bridge, one man was on one knee, singing to a young woman, who hid her face behind her muffler. The singer's friends were preventing an older woman - obviously the woman's escort - from interrupting.

When the singer finished, he stood and gathered the young woman to him and kissed her, eliciting gasps from the gathered crowd. As the escort broke through the blockade, the singer jumped off the bridge and used his bending to make an ice path.

The angry escort and the flustered woman then crossed over the bridge and continued their walk. Katara saw that the woman still hid her face while the older woman spoke rapidly and with an angry expression.

Sokka chuckled but didn't say anything as they finally started to move again. Katara eyed him, then nudged him gently in the ribs. With a yelp, he looked at her.

"Wish Suki was here?" Katara asked. Sokka smiled and looked out over the crowd.

"Well, yes, but not for that. We had a good talk. I think things are settled now." He spoke with a lightness and Katara shook her head, smiling.

"I'm glad to hear that. But what changed?" She asked. Sokka sniffed and shrugged a shoulder.

"I finally realized that I was only barreling into marriage because I was scared of losing her." He paused and gave a dry laugh. "As if making her my wife would have kept her alive from whatever the universe had in store for her." Katara shrugged out from under Sokka's arm and he glanced at her.

"It's good you and Suki are doing better." Katara said.

"Honestly, I'm just upset by how long it took me to realize what the issue was."

"Leftovers from the war maybe? We were all in some pretty harrowing situations."

"Not exactly, no." Sokka was short in his response and Katara stared at him. She could see the corner of his eye tighten and she narrowed hers.

"What's up?"

"I…" He glanced at her and then looked away nervously. "I _want_ to talk about it but it's not entirely my story to tell."

"Sokka, you can always tell me anything."

"I know." He glanced at her again as he said it. "But it's pretty personal, for both Suki and me." Furrowing her brow, Katara leaned over a little bit to look up at him.

"Is she okay?" She questioned.

"She's fine. Just." Sokka sighed and his shoulder slumped. "She had a miscarriage a couple of months ago."

A myriad of thoughts shot rapidly through Katara's mind. How had she missed this? How had he not told her sooner? What could she have possibly been doing back then that kept her so distant from her brother?

"Sokka, I'm so sorry." She said softly. Sokka gave her a weak smile and patted her back.

"It's okay. I mean now it's okay. But it just freaked me out, how fragile everything is. I," Sokka paused, looking sick. "I just wasn't expecting so much blood. I thought she was dying. And there's no easy for me to keep her from that harm."

"If it makes you feel any better, miscarriages are fairly common. Things need to be almost perfect for a baby to grow." Katara said and Sokka turned to her with a disgusted face.

"That makes me feel _worse_! How do women handle that?" Sokka faced forward again, still looking horrified. "How do _families_ handle that?" Sokka stopped and grabbed Katara roughly by her arms, causing her to yelp in surprise. "Katara, have you..?"

She wanted to be upset at the bluntness of the question, but Sokka looked more scared than she had seen him in his life. More than when they faced the Fire Nation invasion.

"Sokka, no. I haven't." She said calmly and as Sokka relaxed, she awkwardly patted his arms since he still held her. "I'm just saying, statistically, a woman is more likely to die in childbirth than from a miscarriage."

Sokka paled and threw his hands in the air, turning away from her.

"I'm done!" He yelled and started to walk off in a random direction. Katara winced and looked around, watching as people began to speed up past her. With a sigh, she went after Sokka.

"I'm sorry." She said when she caught him. He still looked pale and a little sick, so Katara put her arm through his. "Suki is a really healthy person. When the time comes, I promise to offer everything I can to make sure it goes well, though I am positive she could handle it on her own."

"When I said I wanted kids…" Sokka muttered and Katara hugged his arm.

"People been having kids for thousands of years. I think you both will get through it okay." They looked at each other and Sokka gave her a thin smile. "Let's go have tea and bother Rin."

The palace of the North Pole was a testament to a time long since forgotten. It had not been built in a natural cleft of the massive ice shelf, but instead had been shaped from it. At walls that met the ice shelf, there were no seams. Waterbenders centuries past had pulled the palace out of the pure ice. The amount of precision and craftsmanship hadn't been seen since, or else the structures erected in the time between hadn't lasted till living memory.

What the palace represented was a time of either many Waterbenders, or a core group of unbelievably strong ones. The story went that the palace had been built in a day- something even Aang couldn't accomplish even if he were in the Avatar State.

Updates had been made since its completion; rooms were now insulated with stone or petrified wood. Still, it was a frozen monument to a time when Waterbenders moved like gods. Amaq had told her that when the Spirit World portals were open, Waterbenders seemed to be more powerful. When the portals were sealed, so too was a large part of their power.

It had been a seeping of power as time went on, something that seemed to go unnoticed by the people living it. So now, in the North Pole at least, the Waterbenders were living in the shadow of their former glory. The rooms were too big to be filled by these emaciated peoples.

In her history lessons, Katara had learned of the Great Migration. Even after the Spirit World had been closed off, the North Pole still boasted a large population of highly skilled Benders. Due to clan disputes, many decided to leave the Pole and establish their own homesteads, while still agreeing to hold allegiance to the North Pole. It was there that the Ocean and the Moon lived, so it would stay as their societal leader.

Records of incredibly questionable legitimacy recorded that most of the families went to the South Pole, after correctly assuming that there was a second, mirror Spirit Portal. Letters attached to the ancient records claimed to have found another spirit that called the forest oasis home, much like Tui and La.

A small, castoff record had been made in a larger accounting of the world that a very small number of families - only one clan - had established the Foggy Swamp.

A frustratingly vague record was found talking about how a trio of kin clans had made a stop at the Fire Nation and gone on to establish an "isle tribe." Katara had tried to find out more, but Amaq had suggested that any Water Tribe colony within the Fire Nation had probably long since been exterminated.

Looking now at the palace, stepping into the front courtyard where Sokka greeted a group of men, Katara wondered if the migration had helped or hindered the Waterbenders.

Nothing could decay in the North Pole. During her travels with Aang, Katara had seen large villas with sagging roofs sitting on weed choked lawns. People who had made their money on cattle, or rice, or saffron were suddenly impoverished after a river had been diverted, or grazing lands had been depleted, or a new pest had moved into the area and destroyed their crops.

Wandering in, Katara had seen gold flaked wallpaper peeling off wood that had long ago succumbed to dry rot and termants. There were remnants of old furniture, as the land had died so quickly that people didn't even bother to loot the place. Everything spoke about old wealth that had been ruined by the weather and neglect.

Nothing rotted in the Poles. The butchered whales too large to dump in the ocean were left to the sea birds. The rest of the dead, including their own, were weighted down and returned to the sea. There was no decay, but neither was there any renewal. Land lost to the encroaching ocean was never regained, there or elsewhere. Births were prized events, but even then it was only an old spirit returning to a new body.

They were a fixed number, and so many had been lost in the war.

Katara wanted to change that. She wanted to see where the "isle tribe" went, to bring the Foggy Swamp into the tribes. If she could strengthen the Waterbenders, make them at least resemble the ones who had built this might palace, then she could feel like the world was a little more in balance.

She was not amused by how similar her thoughts were to Aang's arguments.

Just as her thoughts drifted back to him, Katara jolted when she heard her name being called. She and Sokka stopped and turned, watching as Aang ran up to them. Behind him, Katara could see a group of people, mostly women, laughing and waving. She scowled.

"Where are you guys going?" Aang asked as he slowed.

"Katara was invited to take tea with Rin." Sokka said.

"Oh, that sounds great!" Aang replied.

"I think it's a girl thing though. She didn't send me an invite." Sokka added and Aang frowned.

"Well, that sucks. Mind if I walk with you guys?" He asked. Katara kept her face from twisting as Sokka agreed.

"Sure. We can get lunch after we drop Katara off." He said.

"Wow, it's just _so_ efficient to have men talk for me." Katara muttered. Aang looked embarrassed but Sokka just shoved her lightly.

"Be quicker next time." Sokka retorted and Katara shoved him back with a laugh.

As they walked in, Sokka slid between Aang and Katara, throwing one arm around Aang's shoulders. He asked about Aang's "visit" so far, as recently the Avatar seemed to have disappeared from the palace.

Katara rolled her eyes as he listed a litany of activities.

As they walked by one hallway, Katara slowed. She saw two men she recognized arguing. They were far enough away that she couldn't hear what they were saying, but neither man looked happy. Suddenly, the one doing most of the talking pushed up the sleeve of his coat and Katara saw a familiar name twisted around to make the shape of a snake.

They kept walking and Katara opened her mouth, but had no idea what to say.

The men were Followers, and she had often seen Amaq with both of them. Many of the Followers were members of the "snow" neighborhood and didn't often have much business in the palace. Their kashim, their ceremonial house, was somewhere on the outskirts of the city, as close as they could get to the ice shelf.

The symbol was for the Tizheruk.

They were spirits and before Katara had ever learned about Koh, she didn't think there were any evil spirits. Spirit morality was more aligned with animals; a bearseal wasn't evil for hunting a penguin chick, it was just what they did to eat.

When fishermen or hunters disappeared, it was simply because they displeased the spirits. There were ceremonies, rites, and tributes to the totems. The practice had fallen out over the generations, but there were still places where they spoke in reverent whispers.

After a kill perhaps. Always at the docks in the Dark Season.

So while the Tizheruk were not evil, they certainly weren't friendly to humans. Legends of half-breed Tizheruk, born from the bearseals, would pop out of ice fishing holes and attack anyone waiting there. They would take children out of canoes. In particularly cold Dark Seasons, they could make it all the way to a village.

To have that symbol marked on one's body was just asking for bad luck.

Why the Tizheruk? And why were they so angry?

Katara returned her focus on Sokka and Aang, finding them laughing about something. They moved through the halls till they got to the residential wing, and Katara spotted a pair of Fire Nation guards. Due to the freezing temperatures, they had abandoned their metal masks and instead wore thick balaclavas.

"Will you be okay?" Sokka asked as they approached the door. Katara glanced at Aang before giving him a short nod. As much as she wasn't looking forward to facing Rin alone, Katara didn't want to have to deal with Aang either.

"Then let's get lunch!" Her brother added and suddenly pulled Aang in a quick turn. Aang sputtered and looked back at Katara over his shoulder.

"Say hi to Rin for me!" He called and Katara gave them a small wave as they walked off. With a sigh, she turned to the guards.

"Is Rin available?" She asked. Both guards had gold eyes, and she figured it must have been a requirement to bring Firebenders who would be less likely to freeze in these conditions.

"I'll announce you, if you don't mind." One guard said, their voice muffled beyond recognition. Katara dipped her head in acquiescence and they opened the door to the ambassador's rooms.

In less than a minute, the guard returned and held the door open for Katara.

"Thank you." She said as she passed.

"My pleasure." The guard returned brightly and Katara smiled. The guard shut the door after her and Katara was left alone.

Rin's rooms had been modernized. Stone pavers had been placed in decorative sections of the floor, walls, and the ceiling. In the middle of the entrance room was a large fire pit, currently fully stocked with sweet burning wood and crackling with bright orange flames. Rin sat on a couch, a thick blanket wrapped around her.

The priest was nowhere to be found.

"You'll forgive me for not getting up." Rin said, sounding slightly frustrated.

"Of course." Katara walked over to the fire and sat in a chair next to Rin. She looked over at the woman with a sympathetic smile. "How are you holding up?"

Rin took a moment to stare into the fire before answering.

"I'll survive." She said, her voice forcibly neutral.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"The servants have built me a sort of nest that they can heat with stones. I make sure to spend some time there. Frequently."

"Did you need to go warm up?" Katara asked gently and Rin glanced at her, looking pained.

"That would be incredibly rude. You've only just arrived." She replied.

"Rin, you could get frostbite or hypothermia. I can even wait if you'd like." Katara offered. Rin looked back at the fire, almost glaring at it. Then she shivered and abruptly stood up. She turned and despite the miserable look on her face, being so bundled she resembled a Wooly Ovis lamb.

"Katara, I hate to do this. But you must excuse me for a moment. I cannot feel my toes." She said. Katara bit back a laugh and nodded.

"Of course. Take your time Rin." She said.

"I'll be back. In the meantime, someone will be in with tea." Rin said and then quickly turned on her heel, marching toward the back of the room where a staircase stood. When she disappeared up it, Katara sat back in the chair, nestling into her coat. Looking around the room, she tried to find anything to occupy her time. Back at the South Pole, there were oftentimes devoted bouts of physical activity to get people warm. Families would also spend part of the sleeping hours in tight groups, telling stories or going over lessons.

If they had been in a different circumstance, or in a different place, Katara would not have felt awkward suggesting that she accompany Rin.

But they were here, and boundaries of propriety kept her from doing so.

Hearing the clatter of dishes, Katara stood just as someone approached with a tray. She grimaced when she saw the glint of the gold mask under the hood.

"Thank you." Katara managed as the priest set the tray down on a small side table. Thinking, she suddenly brightened. "Rin had to go warm up. She might need you."

"There are other Firebenders." Katara felt her heart plummet into her stomach, taking her lungs with it. The priest turned and lowered the mask. "I'm here for you."

"Zuko." A breath, less than a whisper, the only air she needed.

He looked thin, pale, and his undamaged eye was smudged with a sleepless bruise.

They stood there, watching one another, neither one breathing.

There was no need to breathe when time had stopped.

Then Zuko, who relied so much on his breath, took in a deep one, pulling both air and time back into the room.

"Katara, I-" He stopped as Katara ran at him, grasped him, and pressed her face into his chest. He hugged her, his arms going tight around her.

"I missed you so much." He murmured and kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him and kissed him back.


	6. Hush Hush

It was as if her whole body woke up. Katara was suddenly hyper aware of the weave of Zuko's robe under her cheek. She could smell him, a warm scent like cloves and anise, and her breaths curled down into her lungs. Squeezing her eyes closed, Katara tightened her grip on his robe as Zuko hugged her closer.

"Zuko," She pressed her forehead against his collarbone. "What are you _doing_ here?" Zuko didn't answer right away, but kissed the top of her head.

"I had to come. I sent you a letter," She felt him lean back a little, to look down at her. "Didn't you get it." Katara opened her eyes and winced.

"I've been, avoiding it." She said haltingly.

"Oh." Zuko paused and stepped away from her, his hands going to her hips. "I'm sorry if this is hurting things between you and the prince."

Katara, confused, stared at Zuko with her face twisting as she thought. When she realized what he meant, her face relaxed and she let out a small exclamation.

"Amaq?" She retorted. "No, oh Zuko no. It's not." Katara laughed and put a hand to her brow. "Oh monkeyfeathers." Looking back at Zuko, she smiled softly. "We're not together."

Zuko looked at her, trying to read something in her eyes. Then, with a long sigh, he relaxed.

"Oh, thank the stars." He looked down, briefly, before snapping back to attention. "Not that I would blame you." Katara clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.

"Just admit you have a thing for Watertribals." She remarked and Zuko laughed, finally letting her go. She let out an amused breath and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Zuko collect himself.

"Katara, I'm so sorry." He said and Katara frowned.

"No Zuko, I reacted poorly. I just-" She waved a hand as she spoke till Zuko interrupted her.

"Katara." He started but she held up her hand.

"No, let me finish." She took in and released a deep breath, tucking her hand back into the knotted fence she made with her arms. She couldn't look at him and so she addressed the carpet under their feet.

"I'm worried we don't have a future together, and watching you save Azula, after everything, means you will always put your obligations first." Katara looked up and caught Zuko before he spoke, stopping him. "That is not a bad thing. You are the Fire Lord and that's your job. But when it's applied to our situation, it means we would never be able to marry and," She drifted as she saw Zuko's face brighten.

"You want to get married?" He asked. Katara's eyes widened and she felt her face warm.

"N-no! I'm just saying," She looked away again. "You know, if we _couldn't_ then I don't know if I want to invest myself in something…" Drifting again, she felt a coil of something lodge in her throat, and her eyes pricked with tears.

"Something less than certain." Zuko finished softly and Katara nodded.

"Yeah." She murmured and they were quiet for a moment.

"I understand what you're saying. But Katara," Zuko waited till she glanced up at him to continue. "I can't be without you."

The surprise of it, the emotion in his voice, made Katara speechless. No longer near tears, she met Zuko's gaze.

"What do you want to do?" She asked hesitantly and Zuko looked pained.

"I don't know. I just want to be with you." He answered and Katara chuckled.

"Me too." She said and Zuko opened his arms to her. She walked into his embrace and they wrapped their arms around each other. It was a simple hug and Katara relaxed her body into his, feeling secure. It was similar to how she felt with Amaq, though there was a different type of strength between the two men.

"So, what is Amaq to you then?" Zuko asked, seemingly able to read Katara's thoughts. She blushed furiously and jerked her head back to glare at him.

"ZUKO." She snapped and Zuko tried to look innocent.

"I'm just curious!" He retorted and Katara let out a noise of exasperation. She put her head back on his shoulder but still looked annoyed.

"There are certain expectations on both him and I that neither of us plan on fulfilling. So, we've entered into an arrangement that keeps people off our backs." She explained.

"He's gay then?"

"What?" Katara pushed back from Zuko now to look at him. "No. He doesn't, Amaq doesn't have those feelings. About anyone. Ever." Zuko blinked back at her.

"I don't follow." He said and Katara made a strained sound again. She stepped back and rubbed her face with a hand.

"Look, it's not a big deal. There's nothing romantic going on, Amaq and I are just close." She thought for a moment and then snapped her fingers. "Like you and Sokka!"

"That doesn't reassure me actually." Zuko said and Katara waved her hand. Moving toward the tea tray, Katara poured two cups.

"How long are you staying?" She asked as she handed Zuko a cup.

"I can't stay long. Maybe a month?" He replied and warmed the tea. He made to take Katara's but as she waved a hand over her cup, the tea began to steam. With a smile, they raised their cups together. Zuko continued. "The court has been told that I am in private mourning on Ember Island."

"They believe that?" Katara questioned before taking a sip.

"They believe that a lot of people are angry that I killed Azula so they know I had to get out of the city." He replied. Katara's face fell and she felt a twinge of guilt.

"Zuko." She said softly and Zuko shook his head, taking a small sip of his tea.

"Katara, right now, I just want to be with you." He said.

A knocking at the door caused Katara to jump and Zuko just sighed, suddenly looking exhausted. He gestured for her to sit, and she did, pensively looking between him and the door.

"Come in." He called and the door opened slowly. The masked face of a guard poked through before the rest of the body followed.

"Forgive me Fire Lord." The guard said and bowed quickly. "A message came for Master Katara." Zuko waved his hand and the guard approached Katara, who set her tea cup on the arm of the couch. She took the missive and the guard bowed again.

"Go and see if Rin needs anything." Zuko said. With a final bow, the guard turned and walked out of the room, heading toward the stairs. Zuko sighed and turned to Katara.

"Is it important?" He asked, prompting her to open the note. It was short, and signed by Arnook.

"I've been called to a meeting. It seems rather urgent." Folding it back up, Katara shoved the note into her pocket. "When can I see you again?"

"I don't know. Soon." He said and she stood, going to him. "Rin will think of something."

"You rely on her too much." Katara kissed Zuko, intending on brief but getting caught up in his arms. Zuko kissed her deeply, causing her to gasp so he caught her bottom lip lightly between her teeth. With a moan, Katara threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. Zuko then trailed light kisses down her neck to her shoulder.

"Soon." He said again and released her. Reeling slightly, Katara steadied herself and nodded. As Zuko picked up his mask, Katara headed toward the front door of the rooms.

When she exited out into the hall, Katara nodded quickly to the lone guard. They didn't turn or acknowledge her in anyway. For the first time, she wondered how her relationship with the Fire Lord was being received. She wondered how many people knew.

Walking away, Katara touched her fingertips to her lips, smiling. Thinking of all of her earlier interactions with the bizarre priest caused her to laugh quietly to herself. It was a testament to his will, she supposed, that Zuko had only stared.

Katara hurried through the palace, heading toward the royal family wing. Arnook's note had only said that an issue had arisen in the South Pole, and she wondered what that could mean She no longer had immediate family in the South Pole, and even her old village had been absorbed into others once the war ended.

Not enough men had returned home to make it worth keeping.

Frowning, Katara wondered if it had anything to do with the reconstruction. There had been pockets of discontent and some alleged acts of sabotage at larger sites. The debates had been fraught with tension, as there was the constant argument of cultural invasion under the guise of progress.

It was a debate that had taken up much of her time with Amaq.

"Katara!" She halted and turned as Amaq jogged up to her. "Glad I ran into you." As was their custom, he bent down to place a small kiss on her cheek. This time, Katara inhaled sharply and froze. Amaq looked at her, concerned.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"We need to talk." She said in a rush.

"Now? Because we can find an excuse." Amaq said and threw a glance over his shoulder down the empty hall. Katara sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"No, no. Sorry, it's not important." She smiled up at him, though he still looked worried. "I just need my friend. We can focus on your father first." Amaq grinned warmly at her.

"Ah, friend talk. Not 'in-trouble-with-my-fake-girlfriend' talk." He replied and Katara laughed.

"Right. Do you know what this is about?" Katara asked as they started back down the way Amaq had come.

"Spirit trouble I'm afraid." Amaq said and looked grave.

"Sprits?"

"We received word that there's been Spirit activity at two different sites and caused significant damage." Amaq looked pained when he glanced over at Katara. "Malina's brother was injured."

"So they're certain it was Spirits and not…" Katara drifted but Amaq, catching her meaning, nodded.

"It wasn't sabotage. The South Pole tribals are just as concerned as we are."

"Well, this is a mess." Katara muttered. Amaq reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

"It'll be fine. The Followers are hopeful." Katara blew out a breath and slid her arm through Amaq's. She didn't care much for what the Followers thought, but she let it go when Amaq talked about them.

They walked arm in arm through the palace till they arrived at the family wing. Just like in the Fire Nation palace, there was nothing cozy about the royal residence. In fact, the halls seemed wider and grander than the others that fed out into the city. Once again, Katara marvelled at the construction, as there wasn't a seam to be found along any of the walls.

As they passed servants or other Masters, many nodded appreciatively at the young couple with a few pausing to whisper between themselves. As Katara recalled Sokka's question about Amaq's impending proposal and she blanched.

"Are you sure you're okay Katara?" Amaq asked suddenly and she nodded quickly.

"I'm fine." She replied and Amaq raised an eyebrow, but didn't press her further.

Arnook's meeting, as informal as he had tried to make it sound, was being held in his war room. Hakoda, Malina, and Sokka were clumped together, looking at a large map of the South Pole that had been pegged down to the table. Arnook stood in the corner with his wife, talking to Aang. Everyone paused when the door opened and they all turned as Amaq and Katara walked in.

"Father." Amaq said, stepping away from Katara, who in turn, walked over to her family.

"Are you okay?" She asked Malina. The woman nodded and gave her a small smile, but Katara noted how Hakoda's arm sat firmly around her shoulders.

"Your father has assured me that the best healers have been found in the South Pole." Malina said and reached out to lightly touch Katara's cheek. "I told him it was unfortunate that we had the greatest one here." Not finding the words to respond, Katara only smiled as she touched Malinas hand briefly, and they both let the touch fade.

"Katara." Sokka called to her and she turned to him. He gestured her over to the map and as she moved, he was pointing at a few markers establishing villages. "Disturbances have been reported in this general area. But the largest Spirit attack was here, in Yupik." He tapped a large square and Katara frowned.

"And that's the Southern Oasis?" She asked, reaching over to point to the large, dark circle. She had never been so far in the interior of the pole - her old village had been on a coastline - but she had heard of Yupik.

"It is. In earlier correspondence, I've been informed that there is a storm currently over the forest." Arnook said as he and the others also approached the map.

"How long has the storm been there?" Aang questioned.

"Three months." Arnook answered and Aang's eyes widened.

"Three _months_? And just over the forest?" He asked and Arnook nodded.

"Could it be a Spirit storm?" Sokka added. Aang looked pensive and rubbed the back of his head.

"I mean, maybe?" He replied and Amaq gave his a glance from the corner of his eye.

"The Followers already at the South Pole have ascertained that it is not a normal storm. The lightning is green and there has been no rain or snow." Amaq explained.

"What has the Spirits so pissed off?" Sokka asked.

"The construction might be bothering them." Aang offered.

"It's a possibility. I have come to understand that many of the spiritual duties of our Southern brethren have been neglected." Arnook said. Katara felt a knife twist in her chest and she looked down at the map. She saw many markers spread out along the continent, more than what existed in the North obviously. But as she looked at the characters standing next to many of them, all the ones along the coastline, she knew they were no longer there. They had been wiped out by the Fire Nation hunting Waterbenders.

Near Arnook's hand, which rested on one edge of the map, was Haida.

Her village.

One that no longer existed.

"We haven't been negligent." Katara said softly. "We've been dying." The room went quiet, and Katara didn't look up until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over and found her father standing next to her.

"The whole purpose of the reconstruction is to bring back the livelihood of the South. My job, as chief, is to see that through to completion." Hakoda looked down at Katara and they shared a smile. "My heir and I need to travel down there." He turned to face Arnook. "We can figure out what's been going wrong ourselves."

"I have been remiss in keeping you here so long Hakoda. But I am reliant on your council." Arnook shook his head and stared down at the map. "And I fear I don't have a way through the ice."

"We can take Appa." Aang suggested. "He won't be able to take everyone, but Sokka, Katara, and I could get down there."

"The Fire Nation ambassador still has the airship." Amaq interjected and everyone stared at him. "We can ask to borrow it."

"I don't think we want to involve the Fire Nation in this." Arnook replied dryly.

"Rin is a friend." Katara said. "I don't think it would become an international matter if we talked to her."

"Plus, I wouldn't mind having some Firebenders when we go fight the Spirits." Sokka added.

"We're not fighting Spirits." Katara and Aang said in unison. The pair looked at each other and Aang grinned. Despite herself, Katara laughed.

"If you approach the ambassador as friends, securing use of the airship would allow you to travel quickly." Arnook said and then let out a low grumble before sighing. "Amaq will join you as my emissary."

"Thank you father." Amaq said and Arnook patted his son's back.

"Just make sure you return home. I cannot lose another child to an Oasis." Arnook stated. Amaq, silent, put his own hand on Arnook's back.

"I will discuss logistics with Arnook." Hakoda spoke up. "Katara, you were just with Rin. Why don't you go ask her about the airship?"

"I'll go with you." Amaq said as he started around the table. "I need to speak with Katara." With that, he shut down Aang, who had begun to head toward the door.

"I'll meet you for lunch?" Katara asked her father.

"We'll be dining with Arnook today." Hakoda said and kissed the top of Katara's head. "Come back to the dining hall when you're done." Father released daughter, and Amaq reached out to Katara. Placing her hand lightly in his, Katara felt something strange pass through her. This felt so, natural.

"Shall we?" Amaq asked and they walked back out into the hallway.

Heading back the way they had come, Katara struggled to hold onto that feeling of normalcy. As they moved further away from her father, she felt a growing sense of unease.

"So what's going on?" Amaq asked once they had turned a corner.

"Zuko's the weird priest." Katara blurted and then slapped a hand over her mouth. Amaq froze and Katara took a few steps before slowly turning to him.

"The _Fire Lord_?" He asked and Katara nodded. "He's _here_?" She nodded again. "Why?" This was not a question from her supposed boyfriend, nor from her friend. This was a question from the son of her liege-lord.

"He's here for me." She answered softly. Amaq's brows furrowed and he stared at her. Nervous, Katara looked down at the ground briefly, before taking a breath and meeting his gaze. She would not be cowed, and especially not by her friend. "He's my lover."

Immediately, Amaq's face smoothed and he visibly relaxed.

"That would explain the secrecy." He said. Then, as the information registered, he leaned forward. "That would explain _a lot_." Embarrassed, Katara looked at the wall next to her. "You're in love with the Fire Lord?"

"I didn't mean to!" Katara exclaimed and swiftly crossed her arms over her chest. Amaq started to laugh and moved toward her, putting his arm around her waist and turning her around.

"What did Sokka say?" He asked as they started walking.

"He… doesn't know." Katara replied. She felt ashamed, knowing it was pointless to keep the secret from him, but unable to speak it aloud.

"Katara, he's your brother."

"It's complicated."

"We are nothing without our family."

"That's kind of the point." Katara rubbed her face with both hands, groaning in frustration. "Family is so important to us, in a very black or white sort of way." Katara moved her hands away from her face and held them out in a beseeching manner. "Zuko and Sokka are blood brothers. If it doesn't work out between Zuko and I, that puts Sokka in a difficult position."

"Is he a good man?" Amaq asked. Instinctively, Katara leaned into Amaq and smiled.

"Yes, he is." She said.

"Then if it doesn't work out between you two, it will be for a reason that will make things very easy for Sokka to choose."

"You think so?"

"Of course. From what I've heard about you both, if it doesn't work out, you will probably have killed each other."

"My temper is not that bad!" Katara yelled and flicked her hand out in exasperation.

And sent a shard of ice into the floor.

"Of course not my snowflake." Amaq said with a chuckle. Katara muttered darkly to herself but stayed under his arm.

"You won't tell anyone though?" Katara inquired.

"Of course not. But Katara," Amaq stopped and urged her to look up at him. "You have entered into a dangerous relationship. If you need any support or help, promise me you will immediately go to me or Sokka." Confused, but humbled under his direct stare, Katara acquiesced.

"I promise." She said and they started walking again.

"When you are Chief of the South, this is only going to get more complicated." Amaq said and then looked contemplative. "But at least if I'm getting dumped, it's for the Fire Lord."

Katara let out a sound of exasperation.

"Everything is so messy." She grumbled.

"That's what makes it so fun." Amaq retorted and josted her.

When they returned to Rin's rooms, there was still only one guard standing sentry. Katara greeted them and explained that they needed to see Rin. Without a reply, the guard just turned and knocked on the door. Katara tried to listen for a pattern but was unable to discern one when the door was opened. The missing second guard pulled open the door and Katara held up a hand in greeting.

"Hello again." She said awkwardly.

"We need to speak to the," Amaq stopped himself. "Rin." The guard nodded and then stepped aside.

"Be welcome Prince Amaqjuaq, Master Katara." They said, their voice horribly muffled by the thick balaclava.

"Thank you." Amaq said and led the way into the apartment. Katara followed and almost ran into Amaq as he stopped short.

"Greetings again, _priest_." Amaq said, his tone turning thin and irritated on the last word. Inhaling sharply, Katara leaned over to peer around Amaq.

Zuko, masked, stood with his hands tucked into pockets on his robe.

Katara, continuing to inhale and hearing a high whine begin in her head, wondered if she had to forcibly restart her heartbeat.

"Blazes Zuko what's the point of being masked if everyone is going to know it's you?" Rin's voice snapped from the stairwell. Katara stepped into view, breathing somewhat normally, as Rin descended.

"I wasn't aware he knew Cousin." Zuko replied dryly.

"Certain people aren't supposed to know right?" Amaq went on. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Why?" Zuko asked, sounding impassionate, which made him sound incredibly suspicious to Katara.

"Because Katara is important to me." Amaq said. Zuko was silent for a moment, and then turned away.

"I need to eat something. I've been bending too frequently." He said and walked out of the room. Katara's face fell and she plucked at the edges of her coat.

"He'll get over it." Rin said and Katara looked at her. "What can I do for you Master Katara?"


	7. Interlude- Rin

Rin had quickly adjusted to the temperature of the North Pole. Obviously the natives knew what they were talking about and she had followed their instructions on how to dress and keep warm. Winters in Ba Sing Se got cold, so it wasn't a sensation that she hadn't experienced before, unlike the Fire Nation guards she had brought with her.

Still, pretending to be cold had its uses and she wasn't expected to be seen out of her quarters very often. That had been the plan in order to make it less suspicious when she invited Katara to meet in her rooms.

It had been unexpected, however, to find out just how close Katara had become to the Water Tribe prince.

Still seated on the low couch, Rin could feel Zuko pacing behind her. She knew he wasn't the type to sulk publicly for attention, but she knew that if she asked, he would talk.

And Zuko talking was the last thing she wanted to deal with.

Zinna had suggested that Rin take this opportunity to get to know her near cousin. Rin scoffed, again, at the thought of finding Zuko to be anything other than an overly dramatic, brooding Fire Lord.

"Think of what he has lost. You might not find him so insufferable when you realize what you have in common." Zinna had told her. In a lot of ways, she and Zinna were the same. They both prided themselves on being pragmatic and focused. But Rin had to admit, her wife had a much higher emotional intelligence than she did.

Still, it was difficult to parse through these specific emotions. Rin had heard the stories of the Avatar during the war. It had been uncomfortable to meet the group that had saved the world; to find them not only to be human but younger than her. During the war, and for a time after it, she had been angry that the Avatar had not returned in time to save her father. But when she met the Fire Lord, and found him to be so painfully young, she couldn't hold onto that anger any longer.

Iroh, on the other hand, was far too easy to hate. He had led the siege that killed her father after all. And now he was engaged to her mother.

Rin shook her head and pulled a blanket off the back of the couch, wrapping it around her. It was too much, dealing with her own relationships and now trying to reconcile Zuko's.

"Zuko." She snapped and turned on the couch. Zuko stilled and stared back at her, so she continued. "Knock it off."

"What?" He asked, sounding confused. His brow, though, furrowed as if in anger.

"This thing you're doing about Katara. It's embarrassing and beneath your position as Fire Lord." Rin stated. Zuko brought his chin and shoulders up, defensive now she saw.

"I'm allowed to be in love with her." He retorted. Rin sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"It's nothing about that you ninny." She looked back up at him. "It's the jealous pouting."

"I'm not pouting." He said quickly. He stepped back as Rin rose quickly from her seat.

"Childish denial is also beneath you." She said sternly. Multiple concurrent thoughts went through her head as possible topics of conversation. But they were all so personal and she wasn't entirely keen on the idea of building a more intimate relationship with the maladjusted nephew of her father's murderer.

Rin let out an aggravated sigh and turned away. Not murderer, she thought to herself. But mother's boyfriend.

Blanching, she pulled the blanket tighter around herself. That thought was almost worse.

"When I met Zinna." Rin started and tried to sound empathetic. "It was difficult to come out to my family."

"About being gay?" Zuko inquired, leaning forward.

"What? No. That's a Fire Nation thing." Rin waved at him in irritation. "No, it was the fact that she is from your people. And my brothers, and I, aren't big fans of the Fire Nation." Shifting on her feet, Rin paused for a moment to decide if she wanted to sit back down. When she did, Zuko came around the couch to sit next to her.

"I met her a year after the war had ended, when we were still living in Ba Sing Se. A woman came into the tea shop with her daughter." Rin continued but drifted. Koryu was tall, broad, and had the bright green eyes of an Earthbender. The same eyes Rin and her brothers had. Zinna looked slight next to her mother and had brown eyes, like Rin's mother. She just assumed that this woman was a non-Bender.

Rin had fallen for her easily because Zinna had decided that they were going to get married and so she had moved in with precision and grace. They talked about the war, who they had lost, where they had been. It wasn't until Iroh proposed to Rin's mother, a year later, when Zinna told her.

How her father was a Firebender. How he had served in the Fire Nation army for twenty years and retired. How her own brother had only served three years of his five year mandatory service when the war ended.

"It was impossible for me to understand. And Zinna's family is, complicated. Her mother had been born in a colony and was proud to be part of the Fire Nation. An Earthbender. At the same time other Earthbenders were being put into camps, or killed on the battlefield. It disgusted me." Rin explained. "But I love Zinna. And once I made that a truth in my life, I just had to figure out how to make everything else work."

"So you became a Fire Nation citizen." Zuko added.

"I became a Fire Nation citizen so I could work in the palace." Rin corrected. "What I'm trying to say, Zuko, is that if you accept your love as a truth in your life, you will be calm enough to handle the rest of it."

"What if it isn't a truth for her?" Zuko asked.

"Then you handle it. But there isn't an hypothetical scenario you can think of that will be solved by you being a mess." She replied. Zuko nodded and looked down at his hands. There was a slight tremor, either from hunger or exhaustion and she couldn't decide which. He was constantly using his bending to keep warm and it wore on his metabolism. She would have to be more conscious of his eating and sleeping habits.

"What do you think about the prince?" Zuko asked.

"Oh, I would watch out for him." Rin said and Zuko snapped his head up, looking worried.

"Katara says they're not together." He shot back.

"Politics has nothing to do with romance Zuko. And she is the most ideal bride for him as the adopted son of a chief with only the most tenuous of holds on literally half of their territory. If I were him, I would be making it a priority to win her over." Rin pushed herself up off the couch again and shivered slightly.

"Are you cold?" Zuko asked.

"I'm fi-" Rin stopped short as Zuko wrapped his arms around her. He radiated warmth, which was nice, but she did not like to be embraced by anyone outside of her family.

"Thank you Rin." He murmured and Rin snapped her mouth shut. She frowned but waited a few more seconds before shaking him off.

"You are most welcome Fire Lord." She muttered and Zuko grinned.

"I think we're making real progress Cousin." He said and Rin glowered.

"I'm only here to make sure you don't cause an international incident." She stated and walked out toward the small area designated as a sort of office. A desk had been set up and she was late on sending a letter to Zinna. Rin paused and looked over her shoulder.

"And we're not cousins." She spat.


	8. The Followers

He smelled like incense and he held her too roughly.

Katara looked forward and saw Amaq's back. He laughed easily with the man on his right and Katara scowled. At the same moment, the hold on her arm tightened and the scowl turned into a wince.

Even through her many layers, Katara could still feel the man's pulse. After working with Toph, she had learned how to read a heartbeat and had a general idea of what was going on. The man's heart pounded in a heavy rhythm. His breathing was even but fast. He was anxious, but resolved to what he was doing. Or about to do.

They walked on and Amaq did not once turn to look back at her. He spoke to the man next to him - Aktuk, who was the Tax Master. The man holding Katara was Piluktuk, Aktuk's assistant and brother-in-law. They were both Followers of the Atka and they were escorting them to the Spirit Hall.

Aktuk, who spoke so easily with the prince, occasionally did slide his glance back toward Katara. His face, which sought to be impassive, looked cold and condescending. Katara could feel the energy around him, how it eddied around his wrists and ankles, how another current worked through him. He was a Waterbender and, as Katara noted how he was using his bending constantly to alter how his footsteps sounded on the ice, she knew he was a very well practised one.

Piluktuk, hammering and plodding along behind, was a non-Bender.

She knew that in three steps, she could use her bending to escape Piluktuk's grip. She could throw up a wall, or turn a spot of ice back into liquid. She could even bring down their bodies against their will. After all, the moon was full and shone all day.

But Amaq looked at ease, talking to Aktuk about the next spirit festival. She had to trust him, trust that he knew what was going on.

"I'm so glad you finally had time to visit with us Master Katara." Aktuk said, turning his face more to look at her. "I understand that perhaps spiritualism isn't as important to your people."

"We were busy fighting a war." Katara shot back.

"I'm sure Master Aktuk carries the highest respect for you Katara." Amaq interjected and smiled pointedly at Aktuk. "And will continue to behave in a respectful manner." Aktuk inclined his head but kept his glower.

"Of course my Prince." He said and Piluktuk's grip on her arm tightened.

She had been taken off guard.

While meeting with Rin again, Katara had found her mind wandering. Amaq did not touch her as he often did when they sat together in public. But still, he was close enough to her. Katara found herself wondering if he was too close, if he was too personable with her, as Zuko sat watching them with a blank, almost tired look.

Worst, it was impossible to think with Zuko being right in front of her. There was a wall between them, more here than had existed back in the Fire Nation. She could feel him reaching for her, even as he reclined back in his seat. When his golden eyes met hers, her heart would pause and her breath would still. They held a gaze for a moment, and then one of them would break away.

Amaq, thankfully, stayed on task. Rin was accommodating, as was expected, though she threw out one stipulation that made Katara both joyous and anxious.

"I have one condition Prince Amaqjuaq." Rin said.

"Of course. I assume you are to join us?" Amaq replied.

"I would call you perceptive your Highness, if other things hadn't made it so obvious." Rin said and gestured over to where Zuko sat. Both he and Katara blushed while Amaq put a hand on her shoulder.

"I fear the journey itself will take almost two weeks. Will the Fire Lord be able to maintain his disguise while so close to the others?" Amaq asked.

"They won't be looking for me. They won't notice me." Zuko bent forward to pick up a tea cup. As he used his bending to reheat it, he looked up at Katara. "You didn't." Leaning back, Zuko barely hid his smile with his tea cup before taking a drink.

Rin explained that it would take a day for the engineers to get the airship ready for launch. With no further excuse to stay, Katara painfully excused herself once the tea had been finished.

Amaq had waited to laugh at her till after the door had closed behind them.

So she had been flustered and distracted when the two older men approached. Aktuk had stepped between them while Piluktuk had seized Katara.

Now they had left the palace and Amaq hadn't looked back once.

Katara had tried a few excuses. That she had an appointment with Healer or that they needed to update the Chief as to their business or that Katara was expected to have lunch with her family. Aktuk brushed each aside, assuring her that their meeting would be quick, but it was important enough to warrant urgency.

"I am sorry to relate to you Master Katara, that there has now been a death attributed to the spirit attacks." Aktuk finally admitted and Katara gasped.

"What happened?" Amaq questioned.

Aktuk gave a much more detailed account of what was happening in the South Pole. Having found the coastal villages decimated, Arnook and Hakoda had agreed to focus the start of the reconstruction on the interior. It had a basic infrastructure already in place and could take in many of the surviving villagers that were now displaced. As it followed more in line with the North Pole model, it was also an easier framework to translate over.

With Arnook's force behind it, he concluded that Yupik would be the first village to be updated as it was the closest to the Southern Oasis. The logic behind the choice was that the Oasis gave the village a warmer climate and there were more resources available, so it could handle the influx of villagers. What it was becoming, however, was a second North Pole fortress and styled as the capital of the South. Most of the people who came to Yupik then decided to stay, instead of dispersing to other villages or joining familiar fishing villages on other coasts.

There was an expansion happening now, to accommodate the increased population and to rebuild long forgotten ritual houses. Accounts held in the North Pole library stated that wood from the edges of the Oasis, trees no less ethereal but somehow less sacred, could be used to build these houses. However, when the logging began, there was an immediate reaction from the spirits.

At first it was just a disruption of the equipment used in construction. Then it was the demolition of the buildings already erected. Finally, it was the death of a man working to clear the small tract of land they were using for timber.

"The other men on his team saw him lifted and flung into a large tree. When he fell, they found him unresponsive and he died that night." Aktuk explained.

They had made their way from the palace and walked in the direction of the docks. Leaving the Ice Village, Katara noticed that the roadways threading through the Snow Village were oddly empty. It was the lunch hour, but usually there was a bustle of activity as people went to other houses or to one of the few restaurants in the area. Katara nervously glanced up at the sky as Piluktuk wrenched on her arm.

"What do you need from us?" Amaq asked.

"You and Master Katara will go into the Spirit World and speak to Aivilayoq. Tell her we may have located her egg." Aktuk said.

The kashim had to be located in a place halfway between the Oasis and the ocean. The building was partially buried in the snow and the door was made of whalebone. When they approached, Katara placed her mittened hand on the ancient ivory, carved with the images of hundred of animals and spirits. A few she recognized from the totem Hakoda had carved for her mother when they were courting.

"How old is this place?" Katara murmured after Piluktuk finally released her. Amaq now stood beside her, as Aktuk opened the door and her guard had been relegated to the back.

"It was the first thing built when the Tribals decided to make the North Pole their home. It is centuries old." He said and put his hand above hers.

"It is an ancient and sacred place. Only a Follower or an angakok may enter." Aktuk added severely. They stepped down into the building and Katara was hit by a wall of incense. Whether it was to mask the fish odor of the whale oil lamps that hung on the wall, or if they were trying to have the spirits able to smell it all the way in the Spirit World, Katara could only guess. She understood why Piluktuk had carried such a strong scent.

"Do you actually know where the egg is?" Katara asked as they descended further into the kashim. There were voices coming from below, though they were muffled by the walls. Turning to look at the lamps lining their path, she gasped.

"Is this wood from the Oasis?" She questioned.

"It is. The Spirits permitted the use of the wood to be made into ritual houses. All other wood was either scavenged from the oceans or brought in from the tundra." Aktuk answered. That's how they found wood in the South Pole. It was harder to come by as the war had caused their trade lines to atrophy. Now, though, they received wood cut from forests in the Earth Kingdom.

"Katara." Amaq said roughly as he grabbed her. She clung to him, feeling panicked, and looked up at him.

"What?" She asked and Amaq shook his head.

"You almost fell down the stairs." He said and Katara blinked. The warmth of the kashim and the heady air made everything feel muffled.

"I think the incense is getting to me." She said and took off her mittens as they continued downward.

They soon came to a long narrow room where a few people stood huddled in the back corner. In the center of the room, a hanging bronze censer that oozed a thick bluish smoke. Heavy tapestries were laid out on the floor ringing the censer and Aktuk led them over to it.

"Sit, please." He said and gestured. Katara and Amaq shared a rug and glanced at each other when Aktuk and Piluktuk remained standing.

"To answer your earlier question Master Katara, we have narrowed our search down to a couple of places within the Oasis itself. The storm, however, is hindering our efforts to explore the area more thoroughly." Aktuk answered.

"So what do you want from Aivilayoq?" Katara inquired.

"Anything really. A hint to where her egg might be, what you're supposed to do once you find it, or anything about what's happening in the South Pole." Aktuk said. Katara nodded and wiped her hands on her pants. The air was clouding her thoughts and she found it difficult to sift through them.

"Master Aktuk." She started hesitantly and looked up at him. "What do you know of Aivilayoq? She said we had forgotten her."

"You all may have, but the Followers remember her quite well." Aktuk replied condescendingly. Katara frowned and Amaq put a hand on her shoulder.

"Please, tell us about Aivilayoq." Amaq said and Aktuk sighed before bowing.

"Of course your Highness." He said. Aktuk stood still and brought his clasped hands to his chest. Katara could feel the energy around him change, could feel the water that pressed against the wooden walls answer. He pulled, moving his hands in a slow figure eight. Water came in thin trickles and circled around his hands. When an orb the size of a grapefruit had collected, Aktuk pulled the water into a screen and caught some of the incense smoke before wrapping it up in an orb again. Crouching down, Aktuk showed them the orb, using his bending to twist the smoke into shapes as he spoke.

"When the world had been shaped, there was one land, one Oasis. In the four corners were four Lion Turtles, large beasts both Spirit and Earthly. All around the land were spirits, and they lived in large wild forests. To protect the humans that lived in their nations, the Lion Turtles gave a few the gift of bending; Water, Earth, Air, and Fire.

"At this time, there was no Avatar, as the nations existed in harmony amongst themselves and with the Spirits. As long as they did not venture too far into the middle of the country, they were relatively safe from the capricious spirits. This did lead to some isolation between the nations, as one would only know of two neighbors, while the fourth was always a mystery.

"Because the bending was used so infrequently, there was no mastery of it. Humans moved through instinct alone and bending was inconsistent and messy. They sought out their own masters.

"The Airbenders looked up and saw the Air Bison. They studied the gentle creatures, the ones who did no harm unless harm was done to them. The Earthbenders looked down and found the Badger Moles. They learned to move without sight, and pushed their bodies to be strong enough to move the ground.

"The Waterbenders and the Firebenders were frustrated. They had learned to feel by watching their elements, and following the moon and the sun. Both water and fire were unpredictable however, and they could gain no mastery.

"The Benders then decided to venture into the Spirit Wilds. Inside they found the mated pair of dragons, Aivilayoq and Shapash. Tui and La were the incarnations of the Moon and Ocean, but Aivilayoq was a Water Dragon Spirit. Shapash was a Fire Dragon Spirit, and the favorite of Amaterasu, the incarnation of the Sun. The mated pair decided to teach the Benders and left their home to follow the separate groups.

"Aivilayoq chose a woman, Angaqtar, to lead the nation of the Waterbenders. Shapash chose a man, Jimmu, as the first Fire Lord and promised to be with him always. Aivilayoq greatly desired to return to her mate and Angaqtar swore to reunite them.

"Unfortunately, that was when the first Avatar decided to separate the spirits from the humans.

"Aivilayoq retreated to the Oasis, thinking to find her mate there. But Shapash, seeing how the Firebenders quickly fell to war with the Spirits, chose to stay and protect them. When the nations were split, and after the Great Migration, the children of Angaqtar forgot their promise." Aktuk stood upright and pulled the water orb apart, letting the smoke dissipate. He then went to a wall and pressed the water through small gaps and cracks back into the ice.

"So, is the egg somehow supposed to reunite her with Shapash?" Katara asked. Aktuk didn't answer right away but instead walked over to the censer.

"We don't know. Since the spirit portals are closed, perhaps the egg is an anchor point and will allow her to cross over. With the earthly dragons extinct, it is possible she doesn't have another way to come." Aktuk said as he opened the censer and peered inside. Katara pulled her lips into a thin line, willing herself not to speak. What Zuko and Aang had told them of the Sun Warriors was to be kept in strict confidence. She wasn't even certain if the entirety of the White Lotus knew about Ran and Shaw or the egg they kept.

"What I understand, is that we need to find out if Aivilayoq intends to move out of the Spirit World." Amaq said. A woman walked over to Aktuk and he took a fresh incense cone from her. They watched as he replaced the cone and Piluktuk brought him a lighted wick.

"That is correct. And as the descendents of Angaqtar, it is our duty to assist her." Aktuk answered as he lit the cone and replaced the cover on the censer, blowing out the wick. "Now, you will need to enter the Spirit World and find out what her intentions are."

Katara let out a heavy breath and Amaq reached over to take her hand. She could barely feel it, as though she were still wearing her mittens. None of the others in the room seemed to be as affected as she, and the realization worried her. She didn't want to be here, to be trapped underground and disoriented with people who invoked the name of a dark spirit. But Amaq held her hand, and his pulse thudded clearly. She nodded.

"Okay."

With the addition of the incense, it was easier for Katara to slip sideways, being half out of her body already. Partially disoriented, Katara felt the shock of fear when she found herself in the middle of a weird forest. She already associated the pond in the oasis as her entrance, but the kashim was anchored elsewhere in the Spirit World.

"It's the wood." Katara murmured and reached out to touch the trunk of the nearest tree. These were crimson, with rough bark that was bumpy like the fire toad. The leaves were silver and clinked together in some quiet, slight breeze. Reaching out, Katara brushed her fingers through a clump of them, and found that they had a velvet touch. The tinkling sound was louder after her hands had passed between them.

"Where are we?" Amaq asked as he transitioned over.

"I don't know." Katara admitted as she took a few steps away from him. The floor of the forest was covered in some sort of aqua colored moss. It was stiff and resisted bending when Katara stepped on it. Why did the Spirit World bother looking like this if everything was going to be so strange?

"Katara, are you okay?" Amaq asked. Katara hopped lightly on her feet, feeling the moss bristle under her.

"Why did the spirits kill a man during a full moon?" Katara asked in reply.

"Ah, my wyrmling, you are away from your pond." The voice was loud but came from a distance. Both Amaq and Katara turned and watched as a figure pushed through the odd branches, creating a discordant noise from the crashing silver leaves.

"Aivilayoq?" Amaq sounded hesitant as the figure got closer. The form was androgynous and had long brown hair. They wore a tunic in the style of a Waterbender, but the material was thin and extravagantly beaded.

"You know me." She said and Katara smiled.

"We entered in the kashim." Katara said and Aivilayoq nodded.

"The Followers want to know what you are planning." Amaq said and Aivilayoq turned her face to him. Her features were aquiline, and her eyes were just as sharp as the lines of her nose and jaw. She wore the style of a Waterbender, but she did not look like one.

"Who are these Followers? I do not know them." She remarked.

"They are the Followers of the Atka. They want to help you." Amaq explained and Aivilayoq sniffed before turning away.

"They should. After all that I have done for them." She retorted. Turning her gaze to Katara, she smiled. "Did you find my egg?"

"Not yet." Katara admitted and the dragon turned away.

"The Followers think they may have found it, but Aivilayoq," Amaq paused as Aivilayoq turned again to regard him. "Do you know what's happening in the South Pole?"

Aivilayoq was silent and seemed to grow as she stared. Amaq didn't waver, but Katara could tell he was anxious. He had always spoken with reverent authority in the Spirit World and she had assumed he felt comfortable enough to do so. Now she could tell that he was probably winging it the entire time.

"There is a lot of noise in the South Pole. Many spirits seem to be agitated. I do not like their noise so I do not bother myself with it." Aivilayoq answered after an uncomfortable amount of silence.

Something jabbed in the small of Katara's back and she yelped as she leapt forward. She turned watched a handful of insectlike spirits jumped away. Amaq glanced at her and she waved him away. Her head was still spinning slightly and even with no noticeable breeze, Katara could still smell the overpowering incense.

"Aivilayoq, how far are we from the pond?" Katara asked. Aivilayoq walked over to her, weaving her shoulders like a snake. Holding her hands behind her back, the dragon dipped forward to look at Katara.

"Many, many miles. We could walk for many days to get there from here. Or you could just turn around. The Spirit World does strange things when humans visit." Aivilayoq answered. Katara did turn, and only saw more of the strange trees. Amaq stared at her for a moment before turning around as well, to look for whatever Katara saw. But she only shook her head and faced Aivilayoq again.

"Could you take us to the South Pole?" Katara inquired. Aivilayoq straightened and smiled. Her grin was too wide for her face and contained too many teeth. Katara recoiled but Aivilayoq immediately lunged for her.

Aivilayoq's body twisted so quickly, Katara was confused to find herself clinging to a thin ridge of scales. The silver was so similar to the leaves that Katara worried she had been flung up into a tree. Instead, as Amaq was flung behind her, Katara realized the silver were hard and smooth instead of velvety.

"Let us go my Benders." Aivilayoq said with no voice and twisted violently upward. Gasping, Katara scrambled to hold onto the ridge of scales while Amaq's arms tightened around her waist. They moved quickly through the branches, the tree limbs gliding past them, or over them, without a sound. When they burst through the canopy, the eerie half light of the Spirit World caught on the broken silver leaves, causing fractured glares of light to erupt around them.

They only hovered in the air for a moment before Aivilayoq rushed forward. The dragon had no wings to pump, but neither did her limbs run through the air. She moved as a force of will and Katara felt as if she had been caught up in a fast flowing river. They geography changed under them and Katara saw more forests, a gash of thick fog, and a desolate rocky plain that stretched out from one enormous bristlecone tree.

The Spirit World seemed vast and Katara had a sense that they were crossing leagues that she could not comprehend. But they moved so quickly, and the scenes below them changed just as fast. It was as if Aivilayoq was flipping the pages of an atlas, searching for a page with their destination printed upon it.

Looking forward, Katara watched as they rapidly approached a misty veil. Anxiety coursed through her and she started to lean away from Aivilayoq's head. There was something foreboding about the veil and they were gaining on it faster than she could blink.

"AIVILAYOQ." Katara called out just as they made contact.

There was no sidestep, but there was a shifting. Katara felt firmer, more in her own self, but as she looked down, Aivilayoq had become more translucent.

"I think we broke through to the liminal plane." Amaq said, reminding Katara that he was still there. She could only nod, acknowledging his words, and she looked down. There was ocean and then, there was coastline.

And then there was Haida.

"No." Katara whispered as she saw the number of huts, the handful of boats in the water. Aivilayoq slowed and they corkscrewed downward. When they landed, Amaq immediately slid off and fell into the snow. Katara stayed put, gripping the ghostly scales as tightly as she could in effervescent hands.

"Katara?" Amaq asked as he held up his hand. "Do you need help?"

"I don't want to be here." Katara said as tears began to well in the middle of her chest. Her throat burned and she tried not to start screaming. Looking worried, Amaq turned around.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Haida. Before my first black snow." She replied evenly. Amaq rubbed the back of his head and turned back to her.

"I don't understand." He said. Katara her head vigorously.

"Before my mother died." She added.

"Why are you not pleased wyrmling? I can sense you miss your mother." Sedna said.

"We need to go to Yupik, Aivilayoq. In the present." Amaq said slowly as he grabbed the ridge of her back and hoisted himself up. "This is painful for Katara." Aivilayoq shook her shoulders and Amaq grasped Katara in response.

"Things will be more painful before they are over, but fine. I will care for my wyrmling." Aivilayoq said. Now they began to leisurely float over to the coast and Katara heard Amaq sigh.

The sigh turned into a yell as Aivilayoq dove into the ocean.

They both knew that they wouldn't be interacting with the physical world, but Katara still braced herself to hit the icy water. Shutting her eyes, Katara pulled in a deep breath and began to plan how she would handle the shock of the cold. Children in the Poles were taught that the cold would kill them before the water did.

When nothing happened, Katara opened her eyes.

It seemed like they weren't moving. The arctic ocean was sometimes empty and with just a vast desert of water, there was no visual marker to tell how fast they were going. She also couldn't feel the force of being dragged through the water, so Katara wondered if they were in stasis.

"Here." Aivilayoq said to them. They moved upward and suddenly everything was glowing. There was a large cloud that looked like it covered a small sun. Aivilayoq moved straight up and then turned her body horizontal so Katara and Amaq could see the cloud.

Underneath was a large forest and bolts of lightning were constantly striking down at it. Within the cloud and the forest itself came a bellowing of many voices. It was a cacophony of rage and fear, all of it mixing into a noise that made Katara flinched.

"What is that?" Amaq shouted, even though the noise did not actually deafen them.

"I do not know. I will not find out, lest I suffer the same." Aivilayoq answered. "It is why I cannot search for my egg."

"Are the spirits in pain?" Katara asked.

"They are fighting. I do not know why." Sedna said.

"Do spirits fight often?" Amaq questioned.

"Only when they want something." Aivilayoq answered. Katara leaned back into Amaq and he held her loosely. She knew they could not investigate, not without their bending.

"Will your egg bring you into the physical world?" Amaq continued.

"Yes." Aivilayoq said simply.

"Are they fighting over your egg?"

"I do not know."

Katara finally stirred and leaned forward to put a hand on Aivilayoq's haunch.

"We have to go back." She said. Aivilayoq didn't answer, only writhed over herself again and went flying away from the cloud. Katara did not look down.


	9. Priorities

Iroh came, and another woman, who Zuko took to be the healer Ilora. She was old, older than Iroh, but not as old as his grandfather. She had a slight stoop, and her hair was looped back with beads.

"Ah, nephew, I see you are more alert." Iroh said. Zinna stepped in after them, holding a bowl of something steaming.

"Uncle, what's happening?" Zuko asked. Iroh looked pained, but knelt down next to his cot. Ilora went to the other side, to tend to the bandage, while Zinna stood smiling at his feet.

"Well, there has been a coup." Iroh started and Zuko started upright. Ilora placed a bony hand on his chest and pushed him firmly back down.

"Is my father alive?" Zuko asked. Iroh sighed and Zuko's pulse shot up. He could feel the prickle of his blood rushing through his arms and legs.

"Your father is the one who started the coup." Iroh replied. Ilora pulled off the bandage and Zuko's eye immediately watered.

"What?" He asked. Ilora hummed quietly to herself as she wiped away at the paste.

"Azulon." Iroh stopped and sighed again. "Azulon was going to announce the official line of succession. Ozai found out that I had named you my heir and had decided to take matters into his own hands." Iroh fell silent and Zuko waited for him to continue. Ilora continued her humming and applied a new paste, dabbing gently at the area around his eye.

"Your father had your grandfather poisoned. He was planning on removing me as well." Iroh finished. Zuko turned his head so that he looked straight up at the tent. The insects whirred and whined in the heat. He laid back and felt the lines Ilora traced with her fingers. He felt the odd plasticity of the skin nearest his eye, how it resisted her touch. He laid in silence as she replaced the bandage.

His father was now the Fire Lord. For how long they had been travelling, the coronation would have long since passed.

"Where is Azula." Zuko said.

"Most likely still in the palace, if they haven't moved her." Iroh replied.

"She is his heir." Zuko said.

"Yes." Iroh replied, softer now.

Death was the only way to make the second born heir. To be passed over was to have been given a death sentence.

"The current story is that I had your grandfather killed, because he was going to name you the crown prince. Before I was able to slay your father, he bested me and I escaped, taking you and your mother with me." Iroh continued.

Zuko turned his face away, looking now at Ilora. The lines in her face were deep and dragged her cheeks down. As she managed a small smile, it looked like her flesh was melting down her face from the inside. Her skin was dark, weathered, and leathery. Her eyes, though, were a bright blue.

"You're from the Water Tribe." Zuko said. Ilora's smile fell and she nodded solemnly.

"I am from the South Pole." She said. "I followed after the ships that took my wife."

"Will my eye ever heal?" He asked. Ilora reached up and patted Zuko's shoulder with her clean hand.

"In time. Your sight should not be affected. Your sister did not intend to maim you." She answered.

Zuko didn't respond, only turned his head till he was looking back at the roof of the tent. Ilora groaned softly as she stood and Zinna approached.

"Would you like to eat now Prince Zuko?" She asked. When he didn't say anything, Iroh reached up over his chest.

"I will take it Zinna, if you please." He said and she handed him the bowl. Iroh held it in his lap while he waited for Ilora and Zinna to leave.

"Where is my mother?" Zuko asked.

"She has gone to Hira'a. She believes she has found something useful there."

"Where are we going?"

"There is an Earth Kingdom transport we will take at Hudai." They were silent again and Zuko listened to the voices outside of the tent.

They would hide in the Earth Kingdom, but Zuko knew that wasn't the main plan. Had they only been fleeing Ozai's wrath, he would only be in the company of his family, and Master Piandao's household. Instead, they were travelling in a large caravan, looking very much like refugees. Zuko had of course heard of these types of travellers, usually poor villagers who had their land taken by the government in order to build more factories or mining facilities.

This group, as Zuko had both seen and heard, were varied. If Ilora had followed after her wife, most likely she had been to the prisons. But there were Earth Kingdom natives, and other blue eyed people. Why they had ever congregated in the Fire Nation was beyond Zuko's mental grasp, but he could piece together what it meant.

They were building an army. But for how old many of them were, Zuko couldn't decide if this was a coalition of soldiers or sages.

He wondered what his place in this army would be.

"I'd like to eat now." Zuko said as he struggled upright. Iroh helped him sit up and then handed him the bowl. It was stew, with chunks of unfamiliar meat. He poked at the vegetables in the thin broth and his mouth twitched.

He would not cry. Never again would he cry about things that happened to him. He had to be strong.

"I'm sorry Lu Ten died." Zuko said softly. Iroh's breath hitched, but he simply placed a hand on the edge of Zuko's cot.

"I am glad that you survived nephew." He replied, just as gently.

Zuko took a bite of the stew. It tasted like ashes.


	10. Space Between Us

It was just one night.

"I'm sorry." His rough hand cupped her chin and his lips met hers. Katara's head was spinning again and she couldn't catch her breath. He kicked the door closed behind him and in the darkness, their hands grasped each other. As he undid the front of her coat, his mouth went to her neck. As he pulled it down, trapping her arms in her sleeves, he kissed her mouth again. His tongue darted quickly towards hers and Katara moaned. The noise made him pause and he pulled back to look down at her as he yanked her coat completely off. It fell to her feet and she started to shiver.

"I'll warm you." He murmured, bending in to kiss her gently. He couldn't freeze here.

In one fluid movement, he picked her up and carried her in his arms. She curled inward, her own heart pounding so hard in her chest she couldn't hear his. He moved swiftly, climbing the stairs as easily as if she were weightless.

They made it into the first bedroom. He set her down and pulled the sheet off the bed so quickly it snapped in the air. He abandoned it without a second thought, turning back to her before it could settle to the floor. Katara watched him as he quickly pulled his tunic over his head. Every movement he made that wasn't focused on her was done with annoyance. They were obstacles to be removed so he could get back to what he wanted.

"I'm sorry." He said again and kissed her. She melted in his arms and he bent her backward slightly, deeping their kiss. He broke off again as he untied the front of her pants.

"Will you never stop being sorry?" Katara asked. He knelt before her, pressing his forehead to her pelvis, his hands gripping the back of her thighs.

"I am supposed to protect you." He murmured. Katara put a hand on the top of his head, lightly caressing the side of his face with her free fingers. He turned and caught them, kissing her fingertips.

"I can protect myself." She replied.

"I should have treated you better." He said and Katara laughed. He looked up, confused, and Katara only stepped back, pulling down her pants. As she was bent over, she leaned forward and kissed him, sucking on his lower lip.

"Just love me." She whispered when she moved her face slightly away from his. He stood as she stepped out from her pants and he undressed silently.

"And you?" He asked as Katara's hands went to unwrap her chest binding. She hesitated.

"And me?" She parroted and he stepped toward her. She swallowed the lump in her throat as he ran his fingers delicately over her lips.

"Will you just love me?" He asked. Katara started to tremble again as she looked up at him. Why did she want to cry?

"I will." She whispered. Running her fingers down his chest, Katara coyly raised her eyes to his. "You're not supposed to be here."

He stepped closer to her just as her hand fell away and he held it in his. Slowly raising her hand to his mouth, he held her gaze. He kissed the back of her hand and then turned it over to kiss her palm.

"This never happened." He murmured

It was just one night.

Katara woke up chilled. Rousing slowly, she propped herself up on one arm and rubbed her eyes with her other hand. When they were clear enough, she let her hand fall as she looked passively at the empty half of the bed. The sheets were askew and the layers of blankets had been tugged hastily in place.

No fire had been laid in the heath so there had been nothing to burn, but they had kept each other warm. Now, with no one beside her, Katara saw the goosebumps rise on her skin.

Still, she didn't get out of bed. To leave would be to conclude the sleeping hours and to seal away what had happened.

It had been something she had thought about often, more than she cared to admit, but she hadn't expected it. And now, they had promised not to speak of it, not when they were about to be travelling in such close quarters with so many people.

Falling back onto the bed, Katara sighed. She could feel the hour in some beastly part of herself, and she knew she had time before they took off. Someone would be packing for her. There was nothing for her to do.

In the silence, she heard the front door open downstairs and Katara sighed again as she rolled out of bed. She stepped onto the floor bent over, feeling liquid at her core but with stiff joints. As Katara straightened, the liquid feeling pooled at her pelvis and dripped into her thighs. It had been a long night.

"Master Katara? I have delivered breakfast." A woman's voice called out and Katara grabbed a shift from the floor.

"I'll be down in a moment." Katara yelled in reply as she pulled the long sleeved garment over her head. She quickly picked up the laughable amount of clothing she had shed on the floor. Undressing when she was, say, at the Fire Nation palace could almost be seductive. Here in the North Pole, it was a test of patience and will. Dressed enough for decency, Katara stepped into her shoes and walked out of the room.

Lanterns and torches had now been lit downstairs and somehow, now illuminated, the rooms looked even more disappointing.

Katara remembered how her rooms in Zuko's palace had been decorated. The furniture had been crafted with care and decorated in a Water Tribe style. It showed meticulous craftsmanship and thought.

These rooms looked like they had been previously used for storage, and when they were clearing it out for Hakoda they just left the more troublesome pieces of furniture. Understanding that most of the salvaged feel came from the space not being lived in for ages, but Katara couldn't help but note the disparity between the two residences.

Of course, this was all thrown out of context considering that she felt most at home in an igloo.

Walking into the dining area, she saw an older woman laying out a place setting. The grief dropped from her memory and slammed into her gut, taking out her lungs as it fell. It had only taken a month, but after seeing her every day, and after being caught off guard by her romance with Zuko, Chang had been knit into a sacred part of her. Now, more time had passed than Chang had even existed in her world, and Katara still felt the sharp edge of that loss.

Perhaps it was because she was drowning, as she refused to grab onto anything secure in her life. She had instead grabbed onto these people, who wanted to support her and said that they loved her. First Zuko, then Chang, and now…

Katara glanced around the room again. She had taken hold of Amaq and knew, precisely then, that she could not lose him. Or else her resolve at being the next chief, at staying in the tribe, would be completely undone. Of course, strong Katara didn't grab onto opportunities, no, she grabbed onto people.

Last night proved that fact.

"Master Katara, shall I send a maid to dress you?" The woman asked as Katara took her seat.

"That would be excellent thank you. Is the airship ready for take off?" She replied.

"Yes. Chief Arnook has requested to meet with you all beforehand." The servant answered.

"I should eat fast then." Katara quipped. The woman only inclined her head and Katara sighed. She had to get out of the North Pole.

After breakfast, she met the others in Arnook's war room. When Katara entered, she saw that they had split off into groups. Hakoda, Malina, and Arnook stood huddled together, discussing something amongst themselves. Sokka was in the center of the room, sketching something on a large parchment while two Fire Nation engineers. Rin and her guards, including Zuko as the masked priest once again, were engaged with Aang. Katara walked over to them, forcing her gaze to look at Rin alone.

"Appa can fly faster than the airship." Aang stated.

"But we can fly for a more continuous time in the ship. We'd only need to refuel once and can actually get to the South Pole in better time." Rin countered.

"Well I'm not leaving Appa behind." Aang said and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I wasn't suggesting that Avatar." Rin said, her voice thin.

"What's the problem?" Katara asked.

"The airship we have is a midline cruiser. It's larger than the two-man ships you've used in the past but much, much smaller than the battleships from the end of the war." Rin explained.

"Can it not fit us all?" Katara questioned. Rin sighed and ran a hand along the side of her head, smoothing her hair in place.

"It can, though quarters will be tight. The issue is that we cannot house Appa." Rin said.

"And I'm not going without him." Aang added.

"We wouldn't expect to leave you behind." Amaq said as he entered the room. They turned to watch him come in, just as Sokka stepped up, the parchment held loosely in his hands.

"About time you showed up. Late night?" Sokka asked, glancing up from his work.

"I had to stay and discuss somethings with the Followers." Amaq replied and glanced at Katara. She gave a wane smile and turned back to her brother.

"Whatcha got there?" She asked and Sokka turned out the sketch so everyone could see it.

"It's an Appa hammock." He said.

His artistry was still abhorrent, and Appa looked like a hairy potato, but his mechanical sketch work was much improved. The entire group congregated as Sokka explained how Appa could fly for as long as he wanted and dock to rest or sleep. The idea, he said, was to copy the hammocks in which the crew slept on the airship.

The engineers agreed that there were plenty of spots under the ship where the hammock could be rigged, but there was only one problem.

"We don't have rope with that wide of a gauge." Amaq pointed out.

"We'll need to make a stop." Sokka said and began rolling up his sketch. Everyone glanced between Arnook and Rin.

"The Earth King will find out about this." Arnook said. Rin sighed and rubbed her brow.

"I believe that there isn't much of a choice." She replied.

The ship was large. There was only a small crew of eighteen, split between two shifts with a captain and chief officer presiding over it. The chief relinquished his stateroom for Hakoda and Malina to take, while the other ranking members of their group gently demurred on ousting Rin and the Priest from their quarters.

It wouldn't be an issue for the first two days at least, since they had decided to ride Appa for the sea crossing. Hakoda had declined the offer to ride as well, stating that he didn't belong in the sky and that the ship offered him more cover. So, as Aang joked, the original trio was getting to go on another adventure.

Then Amaq joined.

Katara was tying down their supplies as Amaq climbed into the saddle. He expressed genuine awe at how high up they now were and Aang seemed eager to talk about the culture of riding Air Bison. Even after they took off, Aang was still talking.

Katara sat back and stared at the pair, while Sokka settled in beside her.

"Did he propose yet?" Sokka asked and Katara clicked her tongue before swatting him with the back of her hand. It connected with his chest with a thump and he laughed.

"What have you heard?" She questioned as Sokka rubbed at the spot she had hit.

"Only that he's made a necklace." He answered. Katara made a noise but didn't say anything. Sokka sighed and leaned back. "I wonder if he'll carve a totem." He added.

They flew days, trailing the airship behind them. They shared their sky rations, and Amaq pulled out a small satchel of seal jerky that Aang politely refused. At night, while Appa drifted on, they talked about the stars as they fell asleep.

On the third day, they exclaimed at the sunrise.

Katara almost cried, feeling the warmth of the light barely ebbing over the horizon. There was always a large feast to celebrate this moment. For now, they shared nuts and dried fruit, singing songs to welcome back the sunlight.

Then they landed in the Earth Kingdom.

Amaq had never left the North Pole before, and spent most of his time gazing around with wide eyes. Much like how Katara and Sokka first reacted, Amaq couldn't understand how much color was in the world.

It was interesting to act as an ambassador to this world. Before, Katara would always defer to Aang, who had travelled as a child. But she soon realized that he was just as removed from this world as she was, and Katara became a native in her own right. She laughed as she picked out a thick wheat noodle and held it up like a worm between her chopsticks. Amaq studied it warily until Aang sucked up a mouthful of noodles, spraying them with broth.

Katara explained as much as she could before the crowds gathered. Amaq towered over the people and a few children were suddenly hanging from his massive arms. Amaq grinned, turning so quickly that his braids flew out like a fan. She watched as he picked children up and tossed them into the air, catching them while they shrieked.

She found herself smiling as she watched him. He was good with kids, that was for certain.

Aang had gathered a more adult crowd, and a few had taken the opportunity to ask the Avatar for wisdom or small favors. Sokka ignored them all and went off in search of vessel worthy rope.

It felt like the old days. After the war, but before everything started to go wrong. Aang entertained the important people, the ones who could give him the attention he needed. Sokka was off doing whatever they had originally planned on accomplishing. And Katara stood at the sides, watching with growing warmth as the people sought out their presence.

Except now there was Amaq. He pulled her in and the two told the story of Sedna, their drowned goddess. Using his bending, Amaq made a school of bubbling fish appear and swim through the midst of children. They shrieked when one would ram into their cheeks, bursting in a spray of water. A small girl touched one lightly, a look of rapture illuminating her round face.

At the end, Amaq put his arm around Katara, and she leaned into him.

That evening, the airship arrived. It took some time for it to land, and for the small group to hike over. Aang had already warned the people, telling them that the airship was borrowed and the Fire Nation had not sought to land here. Seeing Hakoda and Malina, plus Rin with her green eyes, they begrudgingly overlooked the black and red robes.

The priest had not joined them.

Sokka had found his rope and they all packed up, taking with them their new supplies loaded onto Appa, and they all flew the short distance to the ship. The light had gone, but Katara was long since used to the darkness. The Firebenders made the light they needed to make and attach the hammock to the runners under the ship.

That night, they were back on their journey.

Now Katara was on the airship. It was easier to sleep in an enclosed space, as there was always the risk of something going wrong when they slept on Appa's saddle. But now, Katara shifted uneasily as she looked at the shared space where all the human sized hammocks were slung.

As the crew switched shifts, Katara went outside to the external walkway. She found a niche and got out of the way of the guards heading to their stations. Sliding to the metal floor, Katara pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Looking up at the stars, she suddenly felt a sudden longing. It was if her soul suddenly realized it was heading south, and she wanted to go home.

"Can I join you?" Katara looked up and saw Amaq. She nodded and he sat down next to her, keeping a slight gap between their shoulders.

"I cannot believe how different that city was." He said and Katara chuckled.

"Wait till you see a place like Ba Sing Se. It's weird how dry everything is." She remarked.

"Do you like travelling?" He asked. Katara made a mue and tilted her head from side to side.

"Sort of. It's fun seeing so many different places, but I like being at home." She said.

"In the South Pole?" He asked. Katara paused; her immediate response would have been pointing out the obvious, except that the South Pole hadn't been her home for the past five years.

"Yes." She said finally.

"Katara." Amaq said. He sounded so severe that Katara turned to him, worried. He cleared his throat and looked up at the stars before continuing. "I understand, him. But I want you to know, that if it doesn't work out, I will always be here to support you."

"I know." She replied cautiously. Amaq looked at her then, visibly worried.

"I'm serious. I do love you Katara, and I would make sure that you were happy." He went on.

"What are you saying?" She asked.

"I'm saying that there are a lot of expectations on the both of us. If you can't find a way to make your relationship work, I think it would be best for you to settle for me."

"Excuse me?"

"There's a lot going on, politically, that I don't think your father has explained to you yet. You are going to be incredibly pressured to marry, and not entirely by Arnook. The Earth Kingdom is demanding global stability, and they're pushing hard for a marriage, for either you or me."

"What?" Katara recoiled and Amaq nodded.

"After they filed the suit against Zuko, they turned and pointed a finger at the Water Tribe. Because of an, well, incident in the Foggy Swamp, they're demanding that we consolidate our power. They're worried it will lead to civil war." He explained.

"War? There's never been a rumor of that in either the South or the Swamp!" Katara said.

"I know! But, we're not exactly in the position to argue. The Earth Kingdom is much bigger, and holds a vast majority of our imports. I." Amaq cut himself off and looked pained. "The Earth Kingdom has been sending petitions for me to be engaged to one of the Earth King's nieces."

"I've never…" Katara looked out toward the open sky and just blinked.

"I know. Hakoda has refused every suit. Arnook supported him because he thought,"

"He thought we'd get engaged." Katara finished.

"So I will say this. If you're dream doesn't come true, I think a marriage of convenience would bring stability to our people. And you must believe that I wouldn't pressure you into anything you weren't comfortable with." Amaq said. Katara turned to him, slowly, and just looked at him. Then, with a small smile breaking, she started to laugh.

"You're talking politically aren't you? About my comfort?" She asked. Amaq, looking confused, leaned toward her.

"What else would I be talking about?" He asked, completely genuinely. Katara fell backward, clutching her stomach as she laughed. "Oh haha." Amag added. "Amaq doesn't understand sexual innuendo."

Katara tried to calm down but when she looked at Amaq, she found him stifling laughter of his own.

"So, are you proposing?" She asked, wiping tears away from her eyes. Amaq sighed, gently.

"Privately. A question simply between you and I, as a backup plan." He said and reached into his pocket. When he pulled out his hand, he opened it and Katara's breath caught in her throat.

It was a beautifully carved ivory totem of Sedna. She sat in a meditative pose with her hair billowing up and turning into fish, caribou, and seals. Katara took it gently, turning it to see all the minute detail. The ivory was bright against the darkness of her palm and Sedna had a passive, almost solemn look.

"It's not a necklace." She stated.

"That's my custom. If we are ever publicly engaged, I will carve you a necklace. But this is yours, this is who you are." Amaq replied. Katara clasped her hand around the carving and then leaned toward Amaq, opening her arms to hug him.

"Thank you Amaq." She murmured.

"Thank you Katara. I hope you are able to have your heart's desire but," He said and ran a hand over her hair. "I hope you don't find me a poor husband if it ends up like this."

They stayed in the niche, looking at the sky till the moon rose into their view. Amaq found her hand and held it, saying nothing as they were washed in the ivory lunar light.

"Do you think about her?" Katara asked.

"Yue? Often. She was my princess you know." He said.

"Is it strange? Taking her place?"

"It is. Like I said, I would trade everything to have my parents back. This position was not something I ever wanted. When the masters chose me, well, it's not like there was an application." Amaq brought up the hand that held hers and looked at it. "I never wanted any of this." Katara felt wounded, but not by what he said. She had the same feeling after all.

The rest of the trip proved to be more frustrating than it needed to be. The quarters were cramped and Katara had to put up with a cacophony of snores and coughing at night when she tried to sleep. Anytime the airship hit turbulence, the hammock would twist and upend her onto the floor. The meals were repetitive and while they had the reprieve of eating in the captain's room, it was still cramped.

Always, there was the lingering shadow of Zuko's presence.

As he had predicted, neither Aang nor Sokka seemed to have a hint of his identity. Zuko merely glided at the edge of their perception, though he drew Katara's eye like a beam of light.

She lost count of the subtle brushing of his arm against her when they walked down a tight corridor, or how often he would move closer to her when they stood conversing in groups.

Halfway through the trip, everything changed.

Crossing over the equator, they hit a terrible storm. Heavy winds batted them around and the lightning had blown out one of the engines. It was lucky, so many said, that the priest was able to divert the lightning, while Aang, Katara, and Amaq worked on the wind and rain. It was tiring, and the storm raged for a full day, keeping them awake and working. Sokka had been with the engineers, making sure the engines could keep them limping along.

More than anything, Rin wanted to keep from landing in Earth Kingdom territory again. She argued with Sokka multiple times, yelling that she wasn't a Metalbender with Sokka retorting that neither was he. An older engineer used his firebending to heat up other metal enough to work with and they were able to patch the engine while still in flight.

It bled a lot of smoke, but they were at least still on their way.

Two days later, they met another problem.

An Earth Kingdom airship caught up to them and forced them to land. Having a Fire Nation vessel flying over Earth Kingdom territory didn't violate any treaty, but it was suspicious. They demanded to see the manifest and to search the ship. Aang tried to calm them down while Amaq visibly bristled and loomed over the Earth Kingdom guards. Rin was called out and questioned, and Hakoda finally stepped in to pull diplomatic rank.

For the next few days, most of the crew was anxious and frustrated, with Amaq and Hakoda bitterly discussing recent council meetings. Aang, while he had a seat on the council, did not always attend. In fact, he skipped it unless he was told beforehand that his judgement was needed.

Now, as she watched him sitting serious and quiet at the side of the conversation, she wondered if he would start attending them regularly.

The rest of their trip was, thankfully, quiet. Aang called them out when they passed over the Southern Air Temple and Katara calmed as she realized how close she was to her home.

The day before they were to land, Aang suggested that they disembark early and ride on Appa to Yupik. That way, they could give the villagers some warning about the arriving Fire Nation crew. Hakoda and Malina would join them, and Katara had to insist that Amaq go as well.

Rin, out of duty or the kindness of her own heart, managed to give her one night with Zuko.

The next day, Katara jumped down onto Appa's saddle and felt her internal tide shifting. She was going home, except that her home no longer existed. Her home was now her people.

Looking up at Amaq, she wondered how long she would stay this time.


	11. Smoke and Spirits

It was like an eyeblink.

The sea between the coasts of the Southern Air Temple and the South Pole was small. They crossed it in the airship over the course of two days. Katara spent most of that time outside, leaning against the railing, and looking down. The water was dark from the influx of fresh water. Icebergs that floated along like oblivious monoliths glowed lapis lazuli under the waves.

Then, one morning, the dark sea became blinding white ice. On the ice shelf, ironically, there was more life. Polar bear dogs and eel lions barked while beached a good distance from the edge. Spumes of water jettisoned up from pods of whales swimming beneath the thin ice. Then there were the dotted nests of eiderowls.

In Haida they had harvested the down from eiderowl nests. The feathers were the warmest of any bird and they would take part of the nests to turn into jackets. Katara remembered trailing after her mother, swatting endlessly at the mites that somehow survived the frigid temperatures and lived in the dung and fur other animals left behind. They would bag the down, take a few eggs, and then sit while they boiled, picking out debris from the fragile feathers.

It wasn't until they had gotten onto Appa that Katara and Sokka were pointing out the families making that familiar trek. They all waved, and the people would wave back, and they flew on.

Aang saw the storm and all of them crowded to the front of the saddle. It seemed more viscous that airy like other storm clouds, and the light resembled a bruise; a sick yellow green with deep purple and black. The lightning that crackled within it was bright white, but left a crackling trail of pink and green. They all fell silent then, and did not speak again until Sokka pointed out the dark smudge of the ice.

In the smaller villages of the South Pole, buildings were usually dug into the snow and earth. If the snow was too soft then they might make igloos or, if it was summer, pitch the hide tents. Yupik was sprawled out in a lopsided wheel. Buildings were built into the leeward side of hills, similar to where igloos or tents would be erected, except much larger.

Katara and Sokka made remarks on everything, while Amaq asked general questions; the South Pole was much more decentralized than the North and it showed.

"Okay," Aang interjected, drawing out the word till they turned their attention to him. "But what's on fire?"

Slightly anxious, Katara craned forward.

"Oh it's-" She was interrupted as Sokka grabbed onto Amaq's shoulders.

"SUMMER FESTIVAL!" The two men shouted in unison.

They flew over large construction equipment and, true to form, Aang urged Appa down in the center of the festivities. A loud cheer went up as Aang jumped down, catching himself on air. As he waved, Amaq called up a pillar of ice and, holding his hand out, gently guided Katara over. Sokka jumped on and the three of them descended as Amaq lowered the ice.

The crowd loved it.

"Katara! Sokka! Katara! Sokka!" The crowd chanted with fervor and Katara laughed.

A pair pushed through and brought silence in their wake. From how they were dressed, and for their sobriety, Katara took them for the chief and his wife. She had never met them before, but the woman looked very familiar.

"Your highnesses, we weren't expecting you for a few more days." Chief Natan said as he greeted each of them.

"We thought it would be best to get here as soon as possible." Aang replied.

"Thank you Avatar, I am thankful you are here." Natan said. He paused and looked at the people that hovered around them.

"Let's talk at my office." He added and gestured, turning to the side and pointing back to where he had emerged. Katara glanced over at the tall, severe woman that stood behind his shoulder now, wondering why he had not introduced her. She said nothing as they all moved through the crowd, distracted by the ones still calling out to her and Sokka.

When they had passed through the bulk of festival goers, Katara found herself gawking at the development. Scaffolding covered much of the buildings, with stiff sheets lashed down like sails. What she could see was still a patchwork of new and old.

Yupik turned out to be neither village nor town. Exposed wooden beams were being treated with pitch, taller buildings had already been erected in ice, and there were the occasional low roofs of the sod houses she had seen in the tundra. Construction was evident everywhere she looked, although the buildings most resembling the ones in the North Pole had the most scaffolding. A market had been laid out and paved with flat stones, imported from some Earth Kingdom river. In the center was a large bonfire, while stalls and pens ringed the outside.

The Summer Festival had no religious basis. It was simply the point in the summer where many villages converged on one suitable spot and were able to trade. The ones on the tundra who raised the fractious woolly beasts traded for whale oil, and those who fished traded with the farmers here at the center who grew a wider variety of berries and tubers. Haida had never been able to participate in a Summer Festival in Katara's lifetime, but she had heard of it. In the neverending daylight, people feasted and traded and danced and drank. Any money gained was usually quickly spent, and many marriages were conducted to take advantage of the merriment.

Katara caught glimpses of this as they walked further out into the town. People swarmed in pockets, trading and bartering for various items. Feeling the dozens of thundering pulses, it felt like she was being drowned by storm waves. She tried to right herself and she heard someone yelped behind her. Katara fought to turn around and saw a woman topple forward, only to be plucked up by Sokka. Over the woman's head, Sokka shot Katara a look and she grimaced in reply. Shaking her hands, Katara turned forward and tried to let go of the thin threads of water so close to her.

Ultimately, they ended up in what could only be described as an administrative building. Other chiefs often lived and held their business in the central qasgiq. But the world was changing, and the building they were deposited at felt more like a bureaucratic office akin to the Earth Kingdom.

It gave her pause. Katara had never been to Yupik, but it was the center of the South Pole. It was supposed to be her home. And her home had never been, this.

"What happened to the qasgiq?" Sokka questioned, having noted the glaring absence of one just the same as Katara.

"Instead of a men's house, we have a men's dormitory. The events are now held here, in a great hall." Natan answered when they walked into the building. They stood in a large, empty hall, with shining wood floors and dark stone walls.

"What can you tell us about the storm?" Aang inquired, pushing on. Natan sighed and glanced over at the woman next to him. She didn't seem to be focusing on any of them and instead had a far away look set in her stern face.

"The Followers have informed me that there is another Spirit Attack imminent. The storm has been growing increasingly violent over the past few days." Natan answered.

"Aluki, do you have a report?" Amaq questioned. The woman, Aluki, finally turned to look at them, settling her gaze on Amaq.

"I do, your highness. After Maliq was injured, we assumed the Head Chief would want a formal write-up." She replied.

"What have you learned?" Amaq continued. Aluki sighed and straightened the line of her shoulders, looking bored.

"The storm is absolutely the result of agitated Spirit activity. We have made the offerings of water and akutaq but the activity did not abate in the slightest." She said.

"And why do you think another attack is forthcoming?" Aang questioned. Aluki turned slowly to face Aang and her gaze narrowed.

"Because we have noticed common trends before each instance of spiritual manifestation. Currently, the events are cycling up again and are occurring faster. The next event should happen within the next day or so." She explained.

"And you haven't cancelled the festival?" Sokka asked of Natan. The Chief let out an exasperated breath and shook his head.

"I attempted to. But the merchants insisted since the festival urges people to buy more. They don't want to have to drag their wares back home, since they won't be able to sell them." He said.

"But what will happen if-" Katara was interrupted by the sound of a large explosion. They all turned and ran back out of the building, watching as smoke and cinder was shot up into the air. The explosion echoed a deep rumble and people were running toward them, escaping whatever had triggered the catastrophe.

"Let's go!" Katara yelled and they all rushed forward, trying to weave between the escaping crowd. Aang gave up and snapped open his glider, throwing himself up above the crowd. Amaq set his feet and made a wedge with his hands, using his bending to part the snow and the people running on it. The crowd shifted as Amaq widened his arms, diverting around them but falling over each other. He, Katara, and Sokka then ran down the avenue he had created.

Knowing they needed a longer road, Katara pushed out her hands and made a quick arch, pulling up a ramp of ice that towered over the crowd. Amaq jumped up, using his bending to glide up the bridge while Katara held onto Sokka before doing the same They raced along the ice bridge, overtop the streaming crowd, and pulls water out of the air to add length while they moved.

From their vantage point, they saw what had happened.

A coal cart had been picked up from a nearby construction site and thrown into the bonfire. Katara saw in horror as a pair of wooly bovines, still latched to the cart, burned. They had died either on impact or through the explosion of the coal, but her stomach still soured at seeing the familiar shape of the animals engulfed in flames.

Aang got there first and, as he fell from his glider, pulled up as much of the fire as he could. The outlying ones, flames that had splattered on scaffolding and rooftops, went out as Aang directed the fire into the sky. It burned in a loud whooshing tornado and wisps of thick, black smoke twirled up toward the smoky sky. When Amaq, Katara, and Sokka slid down, Amaq immediately went to work dousing the smoldering beams and buildings. Katara lurched forward to attend to the fallen but Sokka grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"What-" She started as she turned on him.

"Where's the Spirit?" He asked and Katara felt her face pale. They both looked up as the smoke swirled and parted, revealing a large, bulbous head.

At any other time, the image of a large firetoad spirit would have made her laugh, but standing dozens of feet below the massive entity, Katara felt nothing but cold terror.

"AANG!" Katara screamed as she saw the spirit's jaw dropped. Aang paused to look at her, missing the long sinewy tongue that shot out from the spirit's mouth. The tongue wrapped around him and he yelped as it started to pull him back with more speed than any of them could have expected. Bound, Aang could only shoot fire from the sole of his feet, attempting to rocket out of the spirit's grasp. The tongue only continued to lengthen and Amaq finally ran forward.

The spirit world was dry. This lesson had been drummed into all Water Tribal children. The dead were always offered fresh water and when a child was named for someone who had passed, their first drink had to be a sip of water. The spirit of the namesake would be thirsty and if they were not given those few drops, they would drain the child under the severity of their thirst.

As Amaq melted and called up the freshwater of the snow, Katara finally knew what she had to do. Standing next to him, the pair created a canon blast of water, hitting the spirit in the face. It flinched and was hit hard enough that it released it's hold on Aang. He held himself up by calling a tower of water, using it to also spray the firetoad. Katara could feel the strain start to build between her shoulders and in her thighs as she held her position.

After a brief initial pushback, the firetoad opened its mouth and croaked. Fire erupted out of the toothless maw and Aang had to abandon his attempt in order to throw out a thick shield of ice. Steam exploded over the area and Katara swore as she had to pull the steam down as a sheet of water.

Before she could return to help Amaq, dozens of waterspouts sprayed past her, buffeting the firetoad. She turned and saw a group of Followers, a handful of other men and women, and a couple of children, all working in tandem to maintain a steady barrage against the firetoad.

Turning back, Katara felt something inside of her swell, and she launched a massive wave against the spirit. Finally overwhelmed, the firetoad was flipped onto its side. It rolled completely over, landing back on its feet, and hissed at them before turning and leaping away. Exhausted, Katara made no move to follow, but felt her legs buckle. As she slumped over, Amaq caught her and braced her against his side. Aang swept the smoke and haze away, while Katara looked around for Sokka. She found him over by a line of bodies, crouching next to one and speaking.

"What was that?" Aang asked sharply as he walked over.

"I don't even understand what happened." Katara admitted. Aang's face was pulled tight and he looked furious.

"I don't understand why the spirits are angry. Even a decline in worship wouldn't result in this kind of rage." He said.

"It's the foreigners and their drilling." A gruff woman stated as she shuffled by. The other Waterbenders had moved around, seeing to the fallen and the injured. Now the native Yupiks were inching around, surveying the damage. Whatever the old woman had seen was enough to set her to frustration.

"What do you mean drilling?" Katara asked as she felt Amaq freeze.

"The Earth Kingdom leeches found oil under the ice. They say they're only taking samples, but they're drilling day and night." The woman explained. Katara turned her face up to look at Amaq, but he looked passive, staring at the old woman.

"Hei Bai was upset because the forest was destroyed." Aang said to himself. Katara looked down, searching for Sokka again.

None of this was adding up.

Aluki approached, flanked by four other people.

"Highnesses, Avatar, we need to have a conversation." Aluki said.

"People are hurt." Katara retorted. Aluki sneered back at her, but Amaq stepped forward.

"We will attend to the injured first. Then we will come to you." He said. Aluki lifted her chin before turning sharply on her heel. Katara watched as the group walked away before pushing off of Amaq.

"What do you know about healing?" She asked.

Amaq proved to be more than proficient in healing, a testament to his birth mother's education. Katara and Amaq worked separately, moving through the shockingly large amount of victims. Some people came away with simple abrasions or light burns having been far enough away from the initial explosion.

The ones closer to the bonfire did not fare as well.

It took hours, with many other Waterbenders and tribal healers coming in short shifts to assist. Amaq and Katara worked in silence, and Sokka brought water to the dead and living alike. They kept to their ways here.

A thought began to blossom in Katara's mind. She had seen a similar ritual performed after battles, while she had not attended herself. She had watched people in the North Pole, in Ba Sing Se, and in the Fire Nation, all moving with the same solemnity as they tended to the war dead.

She had believed that after the war, she wouldn't see it again.

The thought unfurled against the inside of her mind and trailed vines down her spine. Roots spread through her chest, sinking into her heart and lungs. This violence would not end, only move from origin to origin. There might not be a Phoenix King, but there would be another despot, or a vengeful spirit, or a crazed fanatic.

When everyone had been tended to and the dead had been prepared for burial, Katara felt like her energy had been sucked dry. She collapsed next to Sokka at the crater, looking into the still smoking hole that held the remains of the wooly bovines.

"Do you think the spirits are angry that the city is changing?" Sokka asked abruptly. Katara thought quietly for a moment, leaning her head to rest on his shoulder.

"We're adapting, like we always do, like the snow makes us." She answered.

"This isn't adapting Katara. It's turning into the Earth Kingdom." Sokka countered.

"You're allowed to leave Sokka." Katara said, rolling her eyes upward to look at him. "You're still Water Tribe." Sokka only grunted in reply.

"Sokka? Katara? Are you ready?" Amaq asked. Both Katara and Sokka leaned back to look up at him, shared a deep sigh, and then both staggered upright. Aang, his face streaked with soot and blood, walked up to them looking like a ghoul.

"Let's go see what the Followers have to say." Sokka stated.

They met in the ceremonial hall. The Followers had laid out woven rugs and blankets in a circle, each place set with a covered bowl. Aluki and two other Followers were already seated, a blanket wrapped around each other their shoulders. They did not stand when the four of them filed in, and they themselves walked in quietly. Amaq sat down next to a Follower and Aang sat next to the other, buffering Sokka and Katara while leaving them to sit across from Aluki.

"Avatar, your meal is tuber stew. No meat." Aluki said as Sokka slid the lid off his bowl, setting free a plume of steam.

"Aluki, I need you to give us a quick report as to what has been happening." Amaq said. Katara sagged under her blanket, pulling her bowl onto her lap weakly. She hadn't done so much sustained healing since Jang Hui; she was exhausted.

"Three months ago we saw the storm form over the oasis. We knew it was about the spirits immediately but we did not expect it to turn into this." Aluki began.

"How did you know?" Aang asked.

"Know what?" Aluki retorted.

"How did you know that the storm had to do with the Spirits?" Aang clarified.

"We have been doing research on the oasis, as we are trying to restore the connection lost to our Southern brothers and sisters." She answered. Aluki paused before going on. "Very quickly things started to go wrong. Lumber would rot overnight, stones would shatter, and supplies would be washed away.

"At first, we thought perhaps a Waterbender had been sabotaging the work sites, but that was quickly ruled out." Aluki finished and Katara's heart sank.

"There were no Southern Waterbenders around." She murmured. Sokka reached over and patted her shoulder.

"When did things escalate?" Aang asked.

"During the full moon. That was when the Earth Kingdom worker was killed." Aluki replied.

None of this made sense. Even Hei Bai hadn't killed any of the villagers that were taken.

"Do you have a plan?" Aang inquired.

"We need to make contact with the spirits, to see why they are so angry." Aluki answered.

"So I…" Aang drifted as he looked at the others.

"The three of us will." Katara added and he nodded. The group was quiet, and Katara stared down at her soup. She had barely managed to eat.

"We need to rest Aluki." Amaq said.

"Of course. Chief Natan has offered room in his residence, otherwise you can find a place in the dormitories." Aluki said.

"I will go to the Women's Hall." Katara said quickly and Amaq turned to her.

"You sure?" He asked.

"It's what my people do." She replied and Sokka chuckled.

"After dad left, there was no one to stay in the qasgiq. I never got to stay there." He remarked. Katara looked at him and smiled.

"I never go to stay in the women's hall either." She said and they both laughed.

"I will get someone to escort you, Princess." Aluki said as she stood. "The Followers all stay in a lodge." Katara looked over at her and frowned.

"You don't stay here?" She asked, curious.

"In the Chief's residence? Of course not. That is for him and his family. And important guests of course." Aluki added and then gestured to the other Followers, who had neither spoken nor ate the entire time. "Have a good rest."

They all stayed silent as the trio of Followers walked out of the hall. When they left, Aang snorted and they faced him.

"I can understand how they can't enter the Spirit World." He quipped. Amaq frowned and leaned forward.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked. As Aang started to reply, Katara held up her hands.

"Not this. Not here. And not now." She stated. Both men closed their mouths and Katara picked up her bowl.

"People died today and we will not invite evil by speaking evil." Katara finished. The others nodded and they tried to finish their meals. Hoping the food would help, Katara tried to focus on the flavors and the warmth. It was a soup that was familiar to her, though she hadn't had it in so long. The heat of the broth made a line down her throat and to her stomach, but it didn't dissipate. Heat would often pool within her, causing her to carry it like a bundle strapped to her abdomen. Some pools were easy to carry, even enjoyable, some tried to eat through her body.

When her bowl was empty and a woman had come to escort her, Katara felt even more tired. She felt like she could sleep for a whole season, buried under the snow like a polar bear dog.

Katara waved at the men, amused that they were all going to stay in the dormitory. Families did not stay in the halls unless the weather was too cold or awful, though married men would often sleep in the men's hall. The halls acted as a cultural school, and boys and girls learned about their duties and responsibilities. Katara would spend her days there, weaving the stiff tundra grass, cleaning eiderowl down, or braiding leather thongs. She learned about her village's history, the stories of her people, and how to sustain her livelihood.

Sokka had attended to his lessons with the men, learning basic hunting skills and all the stories the men kept secret. Both of them had longed for their ice dodging, knowing that afterward they would be permitted to live in their respective halls.

But the war took the men and the women had to tend to the children left behind. There were no more lessons in the halls, and they were broken down to serve as firewood or to build rafts. Their culture was being broken down to be repurposed for survival.

"I'm surprised you chose the dormitory Princess." The woman, Iqallijuq, was young and looked at Katara shyly.

"It's just Katara. Or Master Katara." Katara replied softly. Iqallijuq shook her head in disagreement but smiled broadly.

"You're our first princess." She stated and Katara sighed.

Now she knew, she could never go home.


	12. Fixing the Compass

Iqallijuq's cheer was put into sharp relief when they entered the dormitory. The large rooms, built to accommodate the many women who would come here to socialize or teach, were nearly empty. One woman sat a table in the cafeteria, wringing a piece of cloth in her hands. Her eyes were vacant and her face was pale.

She had lost someone in the attack.

"Where has everyone gone Iqallijuq?" Katara questioned. Iqallijuq's smile faded and she looked down at the floor.

"To assist with the burials." She replied. Then, shaking herself, turned back to Katara smiling. "Would you like something to eat?"

"I should go help." Katara said and started to turn, but Iqallijuq held out a hand, making her pause.

"You and the Prince were the ones to heal those who could be healed. We will bury our dead." She said.

"They're my dead too." Katara replied softly. Iqallijuq wavered and lowered her hand with a sigh.

"You need to eat and sleep. There will be more to do tomorrow." She said finally. Katara acquiesced and followed after her guide to a table. While Iqallijuq continued into the kitchen, Katara sat silently and glance over at the other woman, sitting at the next table over but further down. The woman's eyes had not shifted and her fingers still worried at the piece of fabric; Katara could tell that it was singed.

Idly touching her necklace, Katara turned to look through the pass-through and into the kitchen. Iqallijuq was chopping something and the loops of her hair swung with her movements. Katara's hand fell to the tabletop.

The wound of her mother's death was a scar now. Iroh had once told them that the death of a loved one was a boulder on their spirits, but time would erode that down to a pebble they could carry in their pockets. Kya's death was a worn stone in Katara's palm, and she wondered about grief and pain.

Perhaps she wanted Chang's death to hurt more because then it would mean as much as her mother's death. Except Katara had carried that weight for so long, and now she could handle the burden more easily. This woman who had so clearly lost someone, was being pressed down by the weight of her grief, and Katara could not find the words to help.

There had been a night, when Katara and Aang had gone to the Northern Air Temple, and they talked about death. Aang admitted that he could not comprehend the death of his people. Seeing Gyatso gone was personal, and it hurt him to his core. But the sheer number of people dead, it was something that Aang could not carry. There was still, the survivor's guilt - of both genocide and war - that pushed him to find the rumored Air Benders and to rebuild his culture.

Katara too had to admit that the culling of her people caused more of a shared psychological burden than a personal one. It wasn't till her mother had been killed, and become the face of the forty years of purging, that she began to feel it.

Both recognized the honed edge of one person's death.

Standing from her seat, Katara walked quietly over to the other woman. She sat down next to her and was silent for a moment.

"Who did you lose?" Katara asked softly.

"My nephew." The woman replied.

"Would you like to talk about him?" Katara pressed. The woman turned, her wide eyes slowly dripping tears.

"Why didn't you save him?" She asked. When Katara did not reply, she turned back again, her unblinking eyes still filling with tears.

Before she could think of a proper response, Iqallijuq came sweeping in, brushing Katara up from the table. In a whirl of gestures and a clicking tongue, Katara found herself deposited back in her original seat with a plate of food in front of her. For all of her youth, Iqallijuq moved more like an an assertive grandmother.

"You must eat and sleep. You can help tomorrow." Iqallijuq repeated and Katara dutifully began to eat her supper.

If they had stayed near the bonfire, would they have been able to stop the Spirit before it had killed anyone? Or was it lucky they were there at all, having decided to use Appa to arrive sooner than the airship? Katara blanched when she thought about the airship, how her father was about to arrive in the aftermath of another attack.

She wondered if this would be easier for her if she had stayed back with the others; just numbers of the dead and no individual grief to impale her.

After she ate, Iqallijuq brought her to the second floor, where all of the sleeping quarters were. Each room held two bunkbeds, and between each room was a small toilet. Katara was given an empty room, as each of the beds was neatly made and there were no personal effects to be found. Iqallijuq bade her a good sleep and left, shutting the door firmly behind her. Walking over to the bed, Katara sat down on the bottom bunk and looked over at the external wall. The dormitory had been built from ice and wood, the exposed timber frame coated in thick black pitch, and each window was simply a thinned square within the ice wall.

It had been built by Waterbenders. The lack of seams and the even surface of the ice gave it away and Katara felt guilty. She had not been here to rebuild, nor was she quick enough to save people from the attack.

Sunlight pooled in the ice, glowing like honey and seeming just as thick. It filled the room instead of just illuminating it, and Katara felt like she was going to drown in it. If the sun could not set, this day would not end.

Katara rose from her bed and went to the subtle window. She put her hand to it, trying to feel the viscous sunlight. Instead, it was just frozen, and Katara breathed into it, pushing energy down her arm to collect at her palm. The window melted. Pushing forward with her right hand, Katara widened the hole in the wall, while sweeping her left foot back, she pulled up on the snow below. Before it reached a good height, Katara jumped out of the hole and had the snow catch her, before pushing herself forward in the direction of the oasis.

She found the graveyard easily enough, feeling the mass of people gathered away from the village where the tundra began to thaw. Her people, and the other villages along the coastline, sank their dead. The ocean was where life began, and the dead had to be returned there before they could be reborn. But far from the ocean, and with ground that could be dug into, the people of Yupik buried their dead. The bodies would melt away and they would return to the underground springs, eventually making their way back to the ocean.

Because of the severity of the issue, despite the number, the graves were all being dug by hand. The steam powered shovels, used to clear snow and ice for a foundation, sat silently back in the village. These were people, and they could not be treated with such callousness.

A knot of women were sewing up the canvas bags that held the dead. Katara went to them, took up a long bone needle, and set to work.

Some unknown sense alerted her not five minutes later, and she looked up to see Aang and Sokka talking with the gravediggers. Aang, very carefully, used his water- and earthbending to dig out the rest of the graves easily. Then all of the men came over to the row of bodies.

The three of them did not speak, only watched as the elders spoke amongst themselves. A man walked into the center of the group, appearing out of nowhere. His breasts were bound and his chest was painted with symbols. He wore a large seal lion mask, pulled down over his head and resting on his shoulders.

He was a angakkuq, the spiritual leader of a village; Katara had never seen one before in her life and she gasped when she realized what the man was. He wore the mask of the first angakkuq to meet with Sedna, to plead with her and soothe her so that she would release the marine life for them to hunt. He had come to lead the dead back to her, so that they could be reborn in their namesake.

The ceremony was an old one, and Katara could feel herself responding in a primeval way. The shaman whistled and it was as sharp as a winter wind. His tune echoed in the open air, called back by the lingering dead. The others slowly joined, some wavering, but all coming together to whistle in a clear, sharp singularity.

A wind picked up around them and the snow swirled in small cyclones. Hazy clouds of snow and ice crystals looked like ghosts, and they bloomed from the sewn bags. The people continued to whistle and the shaman began to call out.

"Sedna, bring home your children! Have them be reborn in their namesakes! May they not thirst as they wait for that day!" The shaman's voice rose and fell in line with the song and the cloud picked up.

The sunlight, low at midnight but still shining red and gold, was caught in the fractals. The cloud glowed like an ember from the forge and the whistling gave it a song. The wind whipped and the cloud grew wings, a long tail unfurling like flames.

"How…" Sokka gasped and Katara stopped whistling, letting her jaw drop.

Part of the cloud broke off and flew, propelling itself on wings of ice and ember, straight at Katara. She held her arms open the burning cloud hit her chest, passing through her like a cold breath. Katara tried to clutch it, but her arms were only coated in a light dusting of snow. Falling to her knees, Katara felt tears well and abruptly drop from her eyes. From the edge of her vision, Katara saw someone approach. She looked up and saw the massive head of the shaman's mask. The man crouched down and pulled back on the head of the mask, revealing his smaller, human head underneath. For a moment, Natan's eyes were the pure black of a seal lion, round and protruding. He blinked, and they slowly faded back into normal.

"You brought a foreign spirit home." He remarked. Katara let out a shaky laugh and bent her head down. Natan put a hand on the back of her head and she sniffled.

"May your ancestors bring you to safety." He said and then stood. As he walked away, Katara was lifted by a strong pair of hands. She looked up and saw Sokka's face smiling softly back at her.

"We need to get to work." He said and she nodded.

Burial was easy. People carried stretchers and others gently lifted the bodies onto them. When the bodies were brought to the the graves, they were lifted again and set softly down in the earth. Despite the more temperate nature due to being so close to the Oasis, the graves were still shallow. Aang used his bending again, mixing the dug up earth and a pile of construction rubble to make large mounds over each grave.

While they were working, Sokka took Katara aside.

"What is going on with you?" He demanded. Katara frowned and stepped away from him.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"I thought being in the North Pole gave you a break from Chang's death, but as soon as Rin arrived, you've been getting more and more moody. You're being evasive, you're disappearing randomly, and you keep crying at the drop of a hat." Sokka explained.

"People died today Sokka." Katara snapped and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And people died during the war. You still never lost it like this and now there was that…" Sokka broke off as he glanced back at the burial. He turned back and looked stern. "Why was there a phoenix?"

"A what?" Katara stepped back from him and shook her head. "You're not making any sense Sokka."

"You are carrying something inside of you. It's not healthy." He said.

"I'm not carrying anything Sokka."

"You are. I can tell."

"How? This is the longest we've spent together in years." Katara shouted.

"And who's fault is that?" Sokka shouted back. Katara gasped, throwing her arms down in angry shock.

"How is that my fault? You were either in Kyoshi or, apparently, running around the palace with Zuko."

"I tried to see you multiple times Katara. And you seemed to make time for Toph, since you two took a whole vacation to the Foggy Swamp."

"I was trying-" Katara stopped and turned away from Sokka, hugging herself tightly.

"Trying to what? Make yourself important by starting an international incident?" Sokka retorted. Katara squeezed her eyes shut, and tightened her grip on her arms.

"Aang wanted-" She started but Sokka interrupted her.

"Who cares what Aang wanted?" He said. Katara whirled on him, furious.

"I did! For five years I cared exclusively about what Aang wanted! And no one came to me to see what I wanted. No, instead I got letters from all of my friends talking about festivals and trips I was never invited on."

"You were with-" Sokka countered but Katara jammed a finger into his face.

"Don't you dare. You can't tell me that I chose Aang over you and then act like you never used that as an excuse not to invite me anywhere." She said.

"If you were so unhappy, why didn't you say anything?" Sokka demanded.

"Because I didn't want to be let down again!" Katara yelled. Sokka stared at her, blinking rapidly.

"What?" He asked. Katara covered her face with her hands and groaned. After rubbing her face vigorously, she dropped them and sighed.

"When Dad, when you brought Dad back, he just turned around and left again to go fight. When we finally won, I thought, you know, we were safe now. We could be together. We could…" Katara's breath hitched but she pulled the hiccough back down. "You left me to go be with Suki. You know, I understood, just like I did with Dad. We have things to do. We had to…"

"Katara." Sokka said softly and Katara shook her head.

"Then, Haida. It was gone Sokka. I went back, alone, and it was gone. Everyone had left to join other villages. We talk about it like it still exists but when I saw Arnook's map, it's gone. Our home with Mom. Every single thing is gone.

"All I had was Aang, okay? And now, I thought I had-" Katara cut herself off. She was so close to telling Sokka everything. Everything about Zuko and why it was tearing her up.

"I just want to be angry about something because what I'm really angry about, what really hurt me, is something I can't even blame you, or anyone for." She finished. Sokka looked at her and then stepped up to her, opening his arms and pulling her to his chest.

"I just want to go back to when we were all travelling together." She muttered, her voice muffled by Sokka's coat as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I thought you wanted to get away from me." Sokka said. Katara flailed against him till she pressed her chin into his chest, looking up at him.

"What?" She squawked and Sokka smiled.

"After Mom died, even though I'm older, you took care of me. You and Gran-Gran cooked, you sewed my clothes, you were the one to fetch the water, and you cared for me when I was sick. I thought since you didn't have to take care of me anymore, that you wanted space." He replied. He laughed a bit and leaned his face down to rest on her head, looking off to the side.

"But I always assumed you'd just keep taking care of things. That you were randomly going to show up when I needed you. Or when I'd escape Ty Lee's presence and go visit Zuko, that you were just going to be there. You were always just where I needed you." He added and Katara tilted her head back down.

"I missed you." She said.

"I missed you too." Sokka said and kissed her head. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"

"I can't." Katara said.

"You know that's a lie." Sokka said. "You could tell me anything."

"Somethings are difficult to say." She countered and Sokka sighed.

"You're right." He admitted and they parted. Sokka turned and looked back at the graves. Most of the people, including Aang, were gone.

"Why did you come out?" Katara asked as she too stared at the mounds.

"It was the right thing to do." Sokka answered simply.

"Aang was helpful." She stated neutrally.

"Speaking of boyfriends," Sokka started and Katara hit him with the back of her hand. He ignored it and went on. "Where is Amaq?"

"Did he come with you?" She asked.

"He was going to, but the creepy Followers got to him right outside of the dormitory." He replied.

"I have no idea why he likes them so much." Katara said, frowning a little.

"He might be hiding something." Sokka offered and then grinned when she glared at him. "It wouldn't be the first time you had a thing for a pretty guy with a nefarious ulterior motive."

"Okay one, stop speaking ill of the dead. And two, I trust Amaq." Katara said.

"You trusted Jet too."

"I thought you liked Amaq?"

"I don't know anything about him." Sokka paced a bit, kicking up the snow with the toe of his boot. "Arnook says he's a good guy, but he seems a little too perfect."

"He proposed to me." Katara blurted. Sokka snapped his head up, startled.

"When?" He asked.

"On the airship. He told me that the Earth Kingdom is trying hard for a political marriage, and that if I wanted a safety net…" Katara drifted, letting Sokka come to the implied conclusion.

"You don't have to get married Katara." Sokka said.

"No, I don't. But the assumption is if I do get married, it has to be to the correct person." Katara explained. Sokka crouched down, holding the back of his head and stared at the snow.

"I don't understand. No one ever told me that I had to-"

"You're not going to be in charge of anything Sokka." Katara pointed out. Sokka grimaced and relaxed his arms, having his hands trail over the ground.

"No wonder you've been so sensitive." He remarked. Frowning, Katara put her boot on Sokka's arm and pushed him over. As she started to walk away, he scrambled in the snow and propelled himself up to walk with her.

"Are you going to marry him?" Sokka asked as they headed in the direction of the village. Katara took a moment to blow on her fingers, her hot breath leaving a film of condensation on her skin.

"I have other things to think about first." She replied.

"Like your Fire Nation guy?" Sokka asked. Katara stumbled and he laughed as she righted herself.

"More like the angry spirits." She said. Sokka sobered and stayed quiet for a few minutes. Katara listened to the crunch of snow under their boots and the muted sound of the landscape around them. It was the sleeping period, though the sun burned like a drop of blood at the horizon. It was a pinprick, seeping through where the land slit apart the sky. Perhaps that was where the spirits had gained their entrance, through the wound that broken through the skin of the world. The ichor burned far atop their frozen home, and the spirits slipped through.

Katara shook herself, feeling the fatigue war with her inner sense of time. The sun was up, she could not sleep yet. But in her muscles, she felt the late hour.

It made her thoughts and feelings swirl, pulling downward into some philosophical abyss.

Sokka walked with her back to the women's dormitory, marvelling at the hole Katara had made. He laughed at her dramatics and told her, next time, to just use a door like a normal person. Katara buried him in a wave of snow before lifting herself back up to her exposed room. Watching her brother flounder, Katara laughed quietly to herself before freeing him. As she reformed the wall, she snorted at Sokka's rude gestures.

In the isolation of her room, Katara could feel the silence. The women had returned by now, but there was no chatter or laughter. Shuffling over to the bunk, Katara once again sat down on the mattress. It was stuffed with tundra grass and was only there to give support to the blanket pocket that laid on top. The sleeping bag was stuffed with eiderowl down, and would keep her plenty warm through the night. She stood again to remove her outer layers, hanging them on the posts of the bed frame, and crawled into the sleeping bag. The barbs of the feathers pricked her through the layers of blanket and her clothing, but they flattened as she turned about.

As Katara shifted onto her side, staring over at the empty bunk opposite her, she thought about the airship. Her father would be arriving in Yupik for the first time, and she wondered how that would go. Yupik was supposed to be the new capital of the South Pole, and would obviously be where Hakoda would make his permanent residence. Natan would be displaced, and Katara wasn't sure how that would go over. He was an angakkuq, the most respected position in a village. If a shaman had a vision or had gone to speak with the spirits and returned with a message, it could overturn any law or rule a chief had set before.

And Natan, a true shaman, was entertaining the Followers of the Atka.

Though Katara didn't know what that meant, if anything.

Rolling onto her back, Katara stared up at the slats above her. Her eyes burned with the need to sleep, but the oozing orange sunlight seemed to set the room ablaze. Throwing an arm over her eyes, she sighed.

She wondered how long it would take her to get used to the sunlit nights. Tossing her arm back down, Katara opened her eyes and screamed. Aivilayoq's face hovered right above her own and Katara scrambled backward, still prone.

"Did you find my egg yet?" Aivilayoq asked as she sat upright while Katara pushed herself backward.

"What are you doing here?" Katara demanded. Aivilayoq's maw opened slightly and she breathed out a thick, hot fog.

"You came to me wyrmling." She replied.

"But I didn't… I'm not…" Katara stammered as she sat up. "How did I get here?"

"You travelled. The angakkuq has been calling for a long time, and the spirits are trying to heed him I think." Aivilayoq answered. Katara cradled her head in her hands and bent forward to touch the top of her raised knees.

"It's not even the solstice, this shouldn't have been possible." Katara muttered. Aivilayoq snorted but Katara kept her head down.

"The spirits have their own festivals you know. We keep our own calendar." The dragon stated.

"This is too much!" Katara yelled and looked up. Aivilayoq sat on her back haunches, her long sinewy tail wrapped around her base. Her wide silver eyes regarded Katara with bland indifference.

"It cannot be too much if it is all one thing." She clarified.

"How is it all one thing?" Katara demanded.

"My beloved wife has chosen the Fire Lord, just as I have chosen you. The sun and moon always chase each other, yes?"

"You chose Amaq too."

"The moon always needs the service of the ocean."

"I don't understand." Katara said, dejected. Aivilayoq made a clicking noise deep in her throat and then laid down, extending her abdomen.

"Because you are only a wyrmling. Come, you need rest." She said. Katara, abashed and slightly shy, crawled over. She grasped one of Aivilayoq's forelegs and the dragon shrank to wrap around her. Expecting the massive beast to be warm, Katara shivered at the chill of her scales.

Still, the feeling of comfort that surrounded her spirit relaxed Katara, and she felt the fatigue wash over her in a more definitive way. She was buffeted by it, so she clung to Aivilayoq so as not to be swept away.

At least this way, cradled in the the arms of the moon dragon, Katara knew she wouldn't have any more strange dreams.


	13. Motives

Katara woke up feeling rested from a deep and dreamless sleep. Stretching, she felt her stiff joints pop and the sound seemed to echo in the quiet room. After being on the airship in such tight quarters, it was strange to suddenly be so alone. Sitting up in bed, Katara shivered. The air was stale in her room since the cells lacked circulation, but the frigid temperature kept it from being suffocating. Still, it took a push of will for Katara to leave her bunk, pulling on her coat to trap her body heat.

After using the toilets and washing her face, Katara started down the stairs of the dormitory. Before she had even reached the first floor, she could hear the roar of laughter.

This was how her people were.

It was bad luck to hold onto bad things. Rotten food made the body sick, and so they knew that rotten feelings sickened the spirit.

Still, it was sometimes unsettling.

Katara walked into the cafeteria and a horde of women were passing around platters as well as cups of coffee - a new treat from the Fire Nation.

"Katara!" A voice hailed from the middle of the crowd. "Is your brother still courting the warrior woman?"

"He is." Katara replied and a wave of disappointed groans surged before more laughter.

Katara walked into the room and, for the most part, the women continued doing what they had been. Weaving and sewing sat in haphazard piles while a group was devoting their time to stuffing winter coats with eiderowl down. Every few bites, an occasional woman would pick up food and shove it down the front of her coat where an small child was invariably swaddled, but it made Katara chuckle.

Other larger but still small children darted around tables and climbed over rows of laps to pluck choice bits from platters toward the center. Katara served some of the more reluctant children before grabbing food for herself, using her bending to grab some water and holding it aloft till she found a free cup. As she tried to find a place to sit, Katara saw the woman from the other day. There were tears in her eyes and she seemed almost pained, but she was laughing. Much like the whistling during the burial yesterday, this too was an expulsion of bad things.

Katara found a place to sit, finding her view of the woman blocked.

As the small feast enveloped her, Katara found out that it had been going on for hours. She had, apparently, been the only one to sleep through the early part.

Sitting among them, it was easy to forget why this revelry was even happening in the first place. It felt like the days in her youth; as women joked and brushed out hair, braiding it with the same quickness and dexterity that went into net making. Katara relaxed under their ministrations and sipped on a bitter cup of coffee as blunt fingers worked through her hair. She didn't know when it had happened, but someone had decided her head needed attending. It wasn't something that bothered her, and she sat patiently while the other women chattered on.

"I think the prince is a shaman." Someone said in response to another conversation. Katara perked up and tried to lean forward but the woman behind her tugged on her hair.

"Like Natan?" Katara asked.

"Mmm." The woman doing her hair intoned. "Not quite. Chief Natan is of both worlds, you know? His spirit came back and his body didn't match. But a woman's body, you know, is a house of water so his spirit was able to channel better.

"The prince has his feet in the snow and is trying to put his head down a seal hole." She finished and the other women cackled. Katara frowned, looking down at her cup.

"Katara, your namesake was a shaman right? Have you talked to the spirits?" Another woman questioned.

"Well…" Katara drifted, unsure of what to say, but was saved by a clamor near the door. She took a long sip as the women all turned to see what was going on.

"The airship has been spotted!" Someone called out. Katara tried to rise, but the woman still had hold of her hair.

"One second more sister." The woman murmured and finished tying in a bead. When she felt her hair fall, Katara stood up and deposited her cup on the table before rushing through the now moving crowd out of the dormitory.

Sokka and Aang met her out front, and she almost laughed at how the women brushed past her brother. He took it good naturedly, shying away from their lascivious leering. It was so different from the North Pole, with everything bright and shining. The women flirted with more confidence, though, as they approached the men they quieted down.

The market quarter was no longer smoking, but there was the smell of charred wood and burnt flesh still lingering in the air. Resources had been salvaged and a team of people had already begun repairing and rebuilding. It was almost as if the spirit attack hadn't happened.

"Hey," Katara started as she looked around. "Where is Amaq?"

"He didn't come back to the dorms last night. Maybe he stayed with the Followers?" Sokka replied.

"I don't understand the appeal of the Followers." Aang added and Sokka snorted.

"They certainly have been trying hard to shut you out." He retorted.

"Did you know the prince has gone into the spirit world?" Aang asked Katara, craning around Sokka.

"Well, yes." She said, peering over the crowd in an attempt to find a path forward.

"And?" Aang prompted. Katara looked back at him, confused, but both he and Sokka were looking at her quizzically.

"And what?" She replied.

"I know that tone." Aang said.

"It means there's more to the story." Sokka said.

"I may have also gone with him into the spirit world." Katara answered, meandering through the sentence. As Aang and Sokka gaped at her, she furrowed her brow. "What?"

"You went into the spirit world?" Sokka asked.

"Without me?" Aang interjected.

"And didn't tell me?" Sokka added. Katara winced and waved her hand between them.

"It's not a big deal. Anyway, let's get to the front." She said hurriedly and ignored the grumbling. The trio pushed through the crowd, parting the people easily once they noticed who was coming. Natan finally spotted them and called out, splitting the crowd so they could make it to the front.

"This wouldn't have happened if you had stayed in my house." Natan said, placing a hand on Sokka's back. Katara choked when she saw her brother flush slightly and lean in toward the chief. He certainly had a weakness for powerful people.

"We might have gotten more sleep too." Aang said and then yawned, stretching his arms wide. An errant gust kicked up, as it often did when he forgot to focus on his breathing. Katara shivered and pulled her hood up, as Aang smiled sheepishly back at her.

He seemed at ease in his normal outfit; though his more adult sense of fashion now included a cape and longer sleeves. Katara only then realized how quickly she had regained her normal style of dress; the fur lining her hood and the strong leather that tied her sleeves and pant legs closed. They stood together much in the same way they had over five years ago.

Mirrors, like ice patches, reflected everything in the everlasting summer of the South Pole.

"Did the airship land?" Sokka asked.

"A few minutes ago. The sleds had already gone out to meet them and should be back shortly." Natan answered.

Katara stood now as a guest, in her own clothes, and awaited an envoy once again. More mirrors, glinting around her in dilating patterns.

The sleds came bursting through the softer tops of the summer snow drifts. Plumes of powdery snow erupted into the sky and sent out shards of rainbows ahead of the paired polar bear dogs. Bouncing with unrestrained energy, the sleds hit the ground had and came flying along, slicing into the snow from the weight on the blades. In the fall, a figure on one of the sleds stayed airborne and there was a glint of gold before the person was yanked back down. Rin had apparently lost her seat and Katara hid her laughter behind a mitten.

Since they were moving so quickly, the sleds banked too hard when they attempted to stop before the crowd and a wave of snow shot up. As it crested over those gathered, Katara shifted her weight on her feet, blowing out a steady breath while she moved her hands in quick circles. The snow froze as a crystal clear barrier between the sleds and the crowd. With the sun at an angle, it threw out bizarre reflections and Katara saw the sea of people as if through a haze instead of the ice wave.

Breathing in, Katara lowered her hands and the veil of ice slid back under foot, startling the polar bear dogs. As everyone began to disembark, Katara watched as Sokka went to their father, so she went with Natan to greet Rin and the priest.

"Ah, Katara." Rin said as she stepped out of the sled, wearing much less than when she appeared in the North. "Is the prince not with you?"

"I've lost track of him I'm afraid. But here, this is chief Natan." Katara said and stepped aside to introduce the two.

"Not chief for much longer thankfully. I'll be going back to being the shaman as soon as Hakoda officially returns." Natan replied and shook Rin's hand. "I see we have another religious man." Electricity shivered up Katara's spine and over her skull. She wondered if Natan was able to feel out Zuko's presence.

"My attendant, to keep me from freezing." Rin said, gesturing to Zuko's disguised form. Natan reached out and Katara cringed when Zuko took his hand. The two men held for a moment longer than normal and Katara held her breath. Then Natan smiled and pulled his hand back.

"It is good to have a believer during these times." Natan said evenly and Katara let loose her breath.

"I didn't think the sun cult had much to do with the moon." Rin said wryly.

"I think the sun and moon are more closely wedded than most would assume." Natan replied smoothly.

"Natan!" The group turned at Hakoda's call and the two chiefs embraced like brothers. Aang and Sokka trailed behind Hakoda with Malina and came around to his left as Natan stood at his right. Natan, being much shorter than most men, stood with his head at Hakoda's shoulder but somehow looked just as formidable.

"Welcome home Hakoda." Natan said. Hakoda smiled sadly and looked around, nodding as he turned back.

"Home it is, but it's not Haida." He said. Malina stepped up and put a hand on his arm. Hakoda faced her with pure tenderness in his face and Katara felt a pain in her chest. She could not remember her father ever looking at her mother that way, though she knew it must have happened.

"Malina, I'm sure you're anxious to see your brother." Natan remarked.

"I am, have you seen him yet Katara?" Malina asked and Katara felt the shock of fear that comes with a sudden realization of something forgotten.

"I-" She stammered but Natan interrupted.

"Unfortunately, I have some bad news. We had another spirit attack yesterday and Katara assisted with the new victims and the burial." He explained. Hakoda's brows came together and Malina drew herself up.

"There were deaths?" She questioned.

"Many. It was the deadliest attack since before the Fire Nation raids." Natan answered.

"May their souls swim swiftly to Sedna." Hakoda murmured and the group stilled.

"Come, let us go visit our friend Maliq." Natan said and they shook as one, shaking off the bad feeling like a soiled cloak. Aang still look perturbed, and Rin looked more somber than usual, trailing along the feeling like chains. It was difficult for Katara to let it go - it was always difficult to let go - but she tried to focus on the task at hand.

She felt badly that she had not gone to see Maliq, but the spirit attack had taken all of everyone's attention. She and Amaq had tended to numerous injured people and Katara hadn't even thought about Maliq. Neither had she thought about Aivilayoq either, or the egg she was supposed to be finding.

As they walked toward the clinic, Katara was perplexed to see a crowd growing.

"They're not still holding the market, are they?" She asked in disbelief.

"Why would they not? The dead may thirst but the living still need to eat." Natan replied, not even sparing her a backward glance. As pragmatic as it all seemed, sometimes these actions seemed callous.

But do you have to be so frigid?

Katara lowered her face and watched as her feet stepped through the flattened snow. The burning ember that she carried in her chest burned her throat and sent liquid fire through the veins of her chest. It burned and she burned under its molten touch.

There was no hospital in Yupik, but they had a designated healing house. In Haida, the healers would simply go from tent to tent when needed; they moved to every birth, every death, and every sickness. This clinic was built much like the other buildings, going no more than two stories high and jutting out from a snow drift that would never thaw. The wind that Aang had inadvertently called had brought company, and Katara saw the gusts blow loose snow over the top of the clinic, coming out like a mist. The sun did not catch them in the same way as yesterday, and they only fell like sugar crystals.

Natan led the way in and Katara was hit by sudden noise. The warmth was heavy here for want of a breeze and it smelled like sick and anxiety. The sound of babies wailing bounced off the walls and added a shriek to the low moaning of the injured patients. People in white tunics and masks darted from bed to bed, and Katara started forward.

She paused when Natan pulled on her coat to stop her.

"They're fine Katara. They have made it through the worst of it and these sounds remind us that they are alive." He said. The callousness burned her again and Katara yanked away from him.

"I am a healer, and I can make them feel better." She replied. Natan stared back at her and she was unnerved by the intensity of his gray eyes. He was not a Waterbender, but a different kind of energy moved through him, one she could not name. A trembling started in her legs but Katara only set her shoulders.

"This is not your duty right now." Natan said.

"They are my people." She retorted. His eyes, at one time like smoke while others like stone, barely blinked.

"Katara." Sokka said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No." She stated, brushing away his hand. "I am the emissary of the Painted Lady." Turning on her heel, Katara marched away down the hall and into the large room where the injured lay. Feeling someone follow her, she whirled around and Aang recoiled, looking scared.

"I only want to help!" He said and Katara narrowed her eyes.

"Fine." She said and went to the nearest bed.

Natan, of course, was right. The victims from the last attack were healing fine and were strong enough to fight the infection many had gained. Still, Katara used her bending to clean the burns and speed up the healing, while taking away some of the pain temporarily. Aang moved in a separate line, using the skills she had taught him to do the same.

The others didn't stay idle, of course. Malina and Hakoda excused themselves to go upstairs, where the less urgent patients were recovering. Natan and Sokka went to assist the other healers, talking with patients and fetching things. Katara focused on her hands, on the burnt and oozing flesh, on the pain that radiated much like heat.

When she had been in the North Pole, she had worked extensively with Nukilik and learned so much more about the human body. Organs each had their own hum, connected by the thread of the pulse. Deeper in everything was the song each individual had; their bending, their will, and their life. Using water, Katara coaxed the disparate sounds into one harmony, sewing up the patches that needed tending. The blue light of the water glowed like the purest sea ice, and the sounds of the body cradled her like the ocean herself.

Skin was like ice on the ocean, and she could pull them together like the winter drew up its ice blanket. The edges would meet and Katara used the water to smooth the seam down so the line was less inflamed and angry. It would scar - she wasn't yet that skilled for that - but scars weren't so bad.

A lightning network of scars over an abdomen, or thin lines over limbs, or small star pockmarks on a thigh. None of them were so bad.

When the rushing of the noises overwhelmed her, Katara staggered backward and was caught by two pairs of hands. Her head lolled on her shoulders and sounds suddenly seemed far away.

"Katara, what did you do?" Aang sounded afraid, but Katara was focused on the shifting of her body temperature. She was suddenly sweating and her vision was going black.

"You overtaxed yourself little one." Natan murmured and Katara sunk slowly to the ground. She started to shiver and curled into a ball.

"Get the priest!" Sokka yelled and immediately, Katara felt warmth. She nestled into the pocket of heat and closed her eyes as her world started to pitch. Hands held her gently, but knowingly. The body under her felt sturdy and the swirling darkness behind her eyes battered her but did not toss her about.

The faint passed quickly and Katara opened her eyes feeling exhausted. She looked up and found the frozen face of Zuko's unnerving mask looking down at her. Giving him a weak smile, Katara pushed away from him and held her hand out. Sokka and Aang eased her upright and Katara leaned on Sokka's shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You healed burns that would've taken months." Aang said and Katara looked at the cot closest to her. The man in the bed looked scared but the burn on his leg was now just a series of red lines. Others in the row showed the same fear with the same recovery.

"Magic water." Sokka stated firmly and Katara laughed.

"Let's go upstairs." She said and Sokka gave her a disapproving look.

"Do you think you can make it?" He questioned.

"If not, I have three very capable men to assist." She quipped and Sokka grimaced at her.

"Rin would probably be the best. She's extremely capable." He corrected.

"That is correct." Rin said. "Would you like me to carry you upstairs Master Katara?"

"No." Katara balked and flapped her hands, making Sokka move away. "I'm fine." She walked through the group, meeting Natan's eyes for a brief moment. His gaze was like smoke now and she hesitated.

"Would you take us to Maliq now?" She asked. Natan blinked and his eyes were simply gray, just a touch bluer than Aang's own.

"Of course, Master Katara." He said, pressing more on her title. She watched him walk into the main hall and they all followed, like a line of fledgling eiderowls behind their mother. Mounting the stairs, Katara stepped slowly. With everyone else behind her, she knew they were anticipating another faint, so she focused on her boots hitting each step. Her muscles strained, since whatever she had done had drawn from a deep well of energy. When she started to sweat again at her hairline, Katara wondered seriously if she was going to fall, but continued to focus on the feel of stone under her sole. It was solid and the impact made the liquid of her limbs stiffen enough to propel her upwards.

The staircase was not that tall, but Katara was panting by the time she reached the top. Aang looked at her, full of worry, and she shook her head.

"I'm still fine." She said.

"You need to sit down." He replied.

"I'll sit when we get to Maliq." She said and Aang sighed.

"At least drink some water." He pleaded. Sighing even louder than he had, Katara went to the wall of packed snow and waved a hand over it. A small indent formed as a ball of liquid water floated out. Still staring at Aang, she pulled the water to her and sucked on it.

"Happy?" She asked, still keeping the ball of water hovering near her face. Aang frowned.

"You're overexerting yourself." He said.

"I'm fine." She repeated and walked past him. Natan had continued down the hall and they were passing small shared, but still private, rooms.

At the last one they stopped. Katara finished her water as Natan pushed open the door. Of the four beds in the room, only two were occupied, and Hakoda and Malina were standing next to the one in the back left corner. Hakoda turned as they entered and waved them in.

"Katara, what happened?" He asked as they approached.

"She overdid it when she was healing." Sokka said and Katara punched his arm.

"Thanks for ratting me out." She muttered. Sokka was unphased by the punch and just shrugged.

"You won't listen to me, but you might listen to dad." He retorted.

"Katara." Hakoda started.

"Can I finally meet Katara?" The voice behind him asked. Hakoda stepped aside and Katara moved to the bed. The man in the bed was darker than his sister, and his face was much rounder. He was propped up and looked happy as he adjusted his glasses to look up at her.

"Hello Maliq." Katara said. "You look well." Maliq leaned his head from side to side.

"I'm as well as I can be. The spirit broke my leg." He replied.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Hakoda asked. Natan touched Katara lightly and produced a chair when she turned. She sat in it gratefully and the others settled into their places.

"I was out looking over a potential construction site. We've been getting a lot of pushback from the locals and it was not a fun conversation." Maliq began.

"Pushback? Why?" Sokka asked.

"I would have thought Arnook told you. We found oil reserves here, deeper than the oil fields in the Earth Kingdom with a much greater yield." Maliq said.

"Amaq mentioned it, but what does that matter?" Katara inquired.

"Oil is feeding the industrial boom. The Earth Kingdom is working on a more refined combustion engine that could flip the mechanical superiority of the world." Maliq replied, sounding excited.

"Flip it toward the Earth Kingdom instead of the Fire Nation you mean." Sokka interjected. Maliq blew out a harsh breath and shrugged.

"We have plenty to benefit from the switch. Especially if the prince-" He said.

"If the prince what?" Katara asked.

"Katara." Hakoda spoke up but Katara stared at Maliq, who blinked between the two of them.

"If the prince marries the Earth Kingdom princess of course." He said, looking confused and facing Katara. "Your father refused the suit Kuei made for your hand and Arnook demands a Waterbender be the heir, but that doesn't mean Amaqjuaq can't wed her."

"I, what?" Katara asked.

"I know this is a lot, but what about the oil?" Aang questioned. Katara stared down at the blanket on Maliq's bed, neither seeing nor hearing.

"There are some, environmental concerns about drilling for the oil. And of course, we don't have the machinery for the project, but the Earth Kingdom does." Maliq went on.

"Environmental concerns and indenturing ourselves to the Earth Kingdom? I can see why the locals are upset." Sokka replied darkly.

"But think of the improvements! We wouldn't have to be a third world peoples. We could be one of the greats! And wealthy too." Maliq chirped.

"But no drilling has actually occurred?" Aang asked, pressing on.

"Not yet. There have been tests of course, and there is an Earth Kingdom team here. The Beifongs have already sent an offer for rights to the first rig." Maliq answered.

"Did Toph…?" Sokka asked aloud but to no one in particular.

Katara's mind spun. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small totem Amaq had carved, holding it in her open palm. Staring at it, she tried to keep herself centered. Sokka put a hand on her shoulder and she closed her fingers over the totem before looking up at him. They shared a quiet, grave look.

"How have you been recovering Maliq?" Hakoda asked.

"I don't have anyone to help so I've had to stay here. Luckily - or unluckily I guess you could say - Takpaugni was admitted soon after with a touch of consumption." Katara turned and the man in the other bed across from Maliq smiled. Consumption was a sickness in the lungs, something she knew how to heal.

"You know, I could-" Katara began but Malina stopped her.

"Not right now you won't." Malina said firmly. "You look like you're about to fall over."

"I just-" Katara sputtered.

"No." Malina said.

"I just want to help." Katara said plaintively.

"There is a way you could help, Master Katara." A familiar voice spoke up and Katara turned. Aluki stood in the doorway with Amaq, who looked as worn out as Katara felt.

"We need to attend to the Oasis." Aluki said.


	14. Eye of the Storm

Natan quickly moved between their group and Aluki. Having first confused them for a married couple, Katara now noted unspoken tension between the two. Aluki looked down at the shaman, her disgust visible on her sharp face. Natan looked the same as he always did, with only mild displeasure.

"Katara has just performed an extensive healing. She cannot travel to the Oasis." He said. Aluki raised one eyebrow. Nothing about the gesture suggested a question, but more of a patronizing curiosity.

"Is that so? The greatest Waterbender your kind has ever produced and the youngest Master is tired after doing simple women's work?" Aluki questioned.

"Our kind?" Sokka blustered and stepped forward. Hakoda braced his son back with a hand held out low.

"If Yupik had a proper shaman, Master Katara needn't have exhausted herself." Aluki added, sneering down at Natan. "Instead they had to dress up a-" Aluki paused to make a small intonation, a hnn coming from her nose. "A non-Bender."

"That's enough." Katara said sharply and stood. She was still fatigued, and she had to grab onto the back of the chair to steady herself.

"I'll go. It's kinda in my list of Avatar duties." Aang said, looking around. Katara bristled at his forced jolly but didn't have the energy to do anything about it.

"Of course. We wouldn't expect to continue without the Avatar." Aluki said. There was an awkward silence and Katara looked over at Amaq. He looked queasy and not altogether coherent. Katara frowned.

"I will accompany you." Hakoda said, and now Aluki looked surprised.

"There is no need for that." She replied lightly. "There isn't anything that you could do to help."

"Katara is my daughter." Hakoda said.

"Yes, your heir. Who will need to look after things in your absence." Aluki countered. "I don't see how your presence will be necessary for a simple outing to the Oasis."

"Then surely you will not refuse the help of a shaman, even a poor one like myself can be useful at the Oasis." Natan interjected.

"Did you not hear? We will have the Avatar, who I am certain is perfectly capable. Besides," Aluki turned and looked at Amaq. "Don't you have guests to attend to?"

Katara seized, squeezing the back of the chair. She had left Rin and Zuko back at the landing, unsure of where they would even go.

Malina finally edged forward, putting her hands on Hakoda's arm. He looked down at her, startled, as if he hadn't expected her to be there.

"It's okay Hakoda. After all, she's Aktuk's sister." Malina said. Katara deflated, seeing the now the family resemblance. The same sour face and puckering around the eyes. There was no relief in this revelation, only a sort of defeated acceptance. Aluki wouldn't stop till whatever end she had was achieved.

"It'll be quick Katara." Amaq spoke up suddenly. It was almost as if a doll had spoken and Katara was shaken by it. His eyes focused on her, but his gaze was so intent she thought he was having a hard time keeping his vision still.

"I promise." He added and Katara's chest tightened. Her other fist squeezed his totem.

"A quick trip then." She said, holding his eye. With a quick nod, Katara turned to look back at her father and brother.

"We'll go see what's happening and come back. You can settle in the Fire Nation people and we'll be back in time for dinner." She said. Hakoda sighed but nodded.

"We'll wait for you." He replied. Katara then looked at Aang and they walked to the door. She wished Chang was there, for nothing more than to call out the absurd drama of the whole thing. To make it seem inconsequential. Or, as Katara found Aluki staring at her, to make sure she made it back alive.

The nature of the hall and stairs kept Katara from walking next to Amaq. And much like her brother, Aluki utilized a group to keep her separated from the prince. The men and women who were waiting for them looked just as dour as the Followers in the North Pole Katara watched Amaq stagger every few steps and tried to feel for him, but her healing skills were not quite at that level. She knew he was off, but his heartbeat was even and steady. Asking him anything would be impossible as the other Followers closed in around them. Aang's pulse began to thud quickly as his anxiety started to ramp up.

"Wait!" The call made Katara half turn and she suddenly felt a release of her own anxieties. Sokka came running up, glaring at the flanking Followers as he trotted up to them.

"I'm coming too." He stated.

"That isn't-" Aluki started and Katara whirled on her.

"Enough. He stays." She said and Aluki sneered.

"Really Master Katara, did you require an honor guard this entire time?" Aluki asked with acid in her voice.

"Most likely. She was always well attended in the palace." A woman's voice replied. Katara turned back and watched as Rin and the priest also approached. Her heart leapt at the sight of the mask, her eyes trying to read emotions in the expressionless face.

It was absurd to be happy in this moment. Glancing around the group, she saw Rin take her usual imposing stance, crossing her thick arms over her broad chest, a glare deep set in her face. Sokka had the anxious tightness around his eyes, looking almost queasy. Aang was anxious with a similar discomfort, but he held himself more rigid.

Amaq looked like he was about to fall dead at their feet.

Katara frowned, but glanced over as Aluki seemed to be taking stock as well. Their numbers were now even, if Katara still claimed Amaq on her side. Whatever tensions was boiling between them, and she still could not pinpoint the source of the Follower's unspoken aggression, there would at least be a fair fight.

Feeling pin pricks in her skin, Katara fought down a shiver. She was too honed for this, too paranoid about an impending fight. None of the Followers had so far acted out against her, and were only hostile in personality.

"Aluki." Amaq said, trying to sound forceful but his tongue seemed to have thickened and he stumbled into the depth of the vowels. Aluki clenched her jaw in aggravated acceptance and spun around.

"Fine. But we have to go now." She said and started to walk. The line connecting the rest of them to her sagged for a moment and there was a pause as the Followers stared at them. Then the line pulled taut and they all walked after Aluki. Sokka flanked Aang, and Rin brought the priest along to Katara's other side.

"Why does it feel like we're walking into another fight?" Katara whispered to Rin.

"Because we are." Rin hissed in reply. "I just don't know over what."

The group, sizable enough now to warrant attention as they passed, moved through the crowd at the center of the village. Reconstruction and repairs were taking precedence over the ongoing update projects, and many of the workers were huddled together. Much of the labor force were Water Tribals, but there were a few Earth Kingdom people dotting the group. None of them looked happy.

They all paused as Katara's group went past, and the Earth Kingdom workers all made the gestures for the evil eye. Katara frowned and faced forward.

Leaving the center, Katara saw the row of sleds that were kept in a shared pen. It almost resembled a paddock where ostrich horses would be exercised. The sleds were transport vehicles, with wide beds and thick, beam-like runners. Aluki made a brief sweep with a hand and the other Followers rushed forward to the sleds, picking out two of the hibernating beasts and pulling them out of the pen.

The polar bear hounds that pulled the sleds were juveniles. They were taken from their families when they ventured too close to human villages, their curiosity getting the better of them. Even as youths, the animals were sturdy and filled with a young sharpness. Humans could only keep them till they reached adulthood, as they became too powerful to handle, to dangerous to keep around, and they would never be tamed.

Aang, already sensing that the Followers would be more brutal than the practice already was, moved between them to gather the necessary teams. Transport sleds took two polar bear dogs to pull with a little weight, so Aang ushered four of them out of the shed they were kept in. He moved with the same kind of gentle caution Katara had seen him use to cajole countless other animals. The two pairs were skittish, but smelled something on him and came willingly. Aang and Sokka got them tied to the sleds and they all piled on.

The group was split in a way Katara didn't like. Aluki and another Follower sat at the head of one sled, pulling Amaq up and onto the bed behind them. Aang was pushed forward and Katara followed, unaware that Sokka was being shoved onto the other sled.

Amaq, Aang, and Katara sat with three other Followers, plus Aluki and the other driver, while everyone else sat in the bed of the other, driven by the last two Followers.

Aluki had managed to get her way in the end, it seemed.

The sleds took off, and Katara was thrown down onto the floor. She hit hard and winced, looking up as Aang crawled over to her. He didn't say anything, only put a hand on her back, and she smiled at him. There was a lot of noise, as the runners cut through the snow and with the general cacophony of the barking, panting, and calling of the polar bear dogs. Then, too, there were the silent stares of their unofficial guards.

Leaning forward and putting her hand on Aang's shoulder as if she were trying to stand, Katara moved her face close to Aang's face.

"Can you check on Amaq for me?" She whispered and Aang nodded. He eased her gently against the low barrier edge of the sled before scooting back over to the front. Two of the Followers moved to cut Aang off, but Katara feigned grabbing the barrier to bend some of the snow under the blade. Creating a divot, the blade faltered and the occupants were tipped to the side. Aang caught Amaq as the Followers scrambled once the sled was righted.

Red faced and huffing, the two finally got to Amaq and pulled him back, cutting Aang off from his side. Crawling back to Katara, they sat next to each other silently. After a moment, with the Followers blatantly watching them, Aang turned his head to look over at Katara.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked, speaking loud enough to be heard by everyone. Katara nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She said in reply, also increasing her volume to be heard over the noise.

"Are you sure? That was a nasty bump and you could be really injured." Aang went on.

"By what?" She asked and when he shrugged, she felt her chest tighten. "I'm fine."

Something was wrong with Amaq, but Aang hadn't been able to tell what exactly was the matter.

And there was nothing she could do at the moment.

The ride to the oasis took longer than she had expected, though Katara could feel the gradual warming as they approached. The sky too had portends of its own.

After some blunt force, blood will burst free from it vein and pull under the skin. That will cause a bruise. As the body reclaims the blood, the bruise will go from violet to a sickly yellow. The storm over the oasis was much like a bruise appearing after some calamity, but the coloring was backward.

The clouds as they approached began as a pus-like yellow. They were sickly, thin, and streaked like smeared bile over the blue sky. But as the sleds bounded ever forward, the clouds thickened, darkened, and began to growl.

Over the oasis, the whole sky seemed to have fallen several feet under the weight of the thunder clouds. Lightening snapped through the blue-black banks, looking like sharp toothed maws crashing down on them.

The trees were made up of thick, gnarled limbs that lacked any foliage. They reached up like snarled combs holdings wisps of fog, like thin silver hairs. This fog was curling thought there was no breeze, wriggling as if it were alive.

Katara was unnerved by the energy of the area, feeling it swirl inside of her much like her bending did. But the two did not mix, and they oozed over each other like oil and water. She looked back at Amaq, and his vacant, tired face made the tightness of her chest pull harder. The pressure ran around her in a band and started reaching up her spine into her neck.

With a loud crash that sounded like the air was being split in two, the world went white. The polar bear dogs yelped in fear and the sled was pitched onto its side. As Katara regained her wits, she found herself still near blinded and in the snow. The ice had scraped her cheek and it burned, but the pain in her eyes was worse. Looking around, Katara saw a fire on the other side of the sled. She started to move toward it, crawling through the snow and sinking in the pockets that had been churned up by their violent expulsion. After her wrist buckled hitting one such pocket, Katara stumbled and fell hard onto her shoulder. She turned and saw Amaq still lying in the snow. The Followers were standing, but no one was helping him.

"Katara!" Aang yelled and pulled her up. "Katara, can you hear me?"

Still dazed, it took a moment for Katara to register his words has having any meaning. She faced him and nodded.

"Yes. What happened?" She asked.

"Spirits." He said and flinched as another loud crack erupted from the clouds. Katara looked past him and saw the lightning bolt streaking down before being diverted. The priest stood at the front of the other group, slightly smoking.

"Where?" Katara asked just as Aang shoved her sideways. A jet of flame rushed at them from behind and Aang swept up a great wind to snuff it out. Katara continued crawling as Aang jumped away, yelling something she didn't take the time to decipher. She reached Aamq and pulled hard on his coat. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep, as even in this state Katara could feel the even plodding of his heartbeat.

"Get up!" Katara yelled and Amaq squeezed his eyes harder. Shaking him as best she could, Katara felt more and more of her energy leaving her.

"Amaq!" She screamed and he finally opened his eyes.

"Katara." He said weakly, and somehow she could hear him. "I'm sorry."

"Not now Amaqjuaq." She snapped.

"Time to get up, your highness." Aluki said just as she loomed over the two. Katara looked up and was grabbed, yanked up to her feet.

"What do you want Aluki?" Katara demanded. She was tired, and she had nothing left for guile or secrets.

"The same thing you want Master Katara." Aluki said, though she looked at Amaq as he struggled to sit up. "I want to help the spirits."

Aluki finally looked at Katara and the moment their eyes met, Katara felt ice in her blood. Aktuk was driven by something, an urge based in power and intrigue. Aluki's eyes were focused and clear, as they pierced some veil. She saw one thing, one outcome, and this frightened Katara more.

Aluki was a believer, in whatever it was that the Followers espoused.

"Let's go." Aluki said and the Followers pushed Katara forward. She paused to help Amaq up and was able to look back. Aang, Sokka, and the priest were engaged in battle with the toad spirit. Fire was shooting out in random intervals and the lightning dogged the priest, splitting his attention. In her brief look, Katara hadn't been able to see Rin, or the other two Followers.

"Move." One of them said gruffly and shoved Katara. She faltered, but caught herself, still holding onto Amaq. While they moved forward, she was unable to focus on finding out what was wrong with him, though she could feel something horrible.

As they got closer to the oasis, the snow under their feet turned to slush and then to mud. When they reached grass, the noise and energy of the storm intensified. The sound of screaming ripped through Katara's head.

When they reached the trees, she saw why the storm was in pain.

A group of Followers stood together at the center of the pole. A pool of water glowed and shapes were coming out of it. Among the Followers, ethereal creatures wound their way as if swimming through water. They were massive beings, with their heads alone being seven feet long. Their bodies were sinewy, but more cable-like, as if they were snakes rather than eels. But their tails all ended in a flipper, once again making them seem more fitted to the ocean than the land or air. One of the creatures moved near to the pool and snapped at the shapes trying to get out. When its jaws closed, lightning boomed in the clouds above.

The Tizheruk were in the physical world.

"What did you do?" Katara yelled. Aluki opened her arms as one of the Tizheruk swam forward. As it wrapped around the woman's body, its head came close to Katara and she recoiled.

"Remember Katara, our people were not meant to worship." Aluki said. She cradled the Tizheruk's head in her hands as it shrank to fit her touch. Aluki turned, the Tizheruk's head pressed against her cheek, and smiled at Katara.

"We were meant to fear." She finished. Another Tizheruk advanced on Katara, and she threw up her arms.

As the spirit passed through her, she felt fear. It was an ancestral fear, and it told her of thin ice, of unstable snow, of a detached ice floe. Things that had no mind, that had no motive, but would kill a man nonetheless. Katara gasped as she felt the pain of a polar bear dog's bite, of an igloo that crashes down to suffocate, and of the smothering cold when there isn't enough wood.

"These are things we are taught Katara, the things we fear to keep ourselves alive." Aluki explained. "We keep this fear to survive."

The Tizheruk were not evil. They were the omens of death and were feared, but they were as blameless in their existence as were the things they represented.

Katara still didn't want them anywhere near her.

Her Tizheruk, the one that had passed through her, now coiled around Amaq. Feeling the sensation of oil and water, Katara shifted the feeling inside of her. She pulled on the spirit as she pulled on water, as she pulled on blood.

"Get away from him!" Katara yelled, yanking the spirit back as Amaq started to groan. The Tizheruk was thrown to the side and it hissed at her.

"What do you want?" Katara asked again and Aluki frowned.

"You have a job to do, don't you?" Aluki said. "Finish it."

Katara laughed caustically, throwing her arms wide.

"I can't exactly meditate here." She retorted. Lightning boomed, punctuating her statement, and Aluki shook her head.

"We can help with that." Aluki replied. Two Followers grabbed each of Katara's arms and held her fast as a third man stepped up to her. This one, a large man, grabbed her face and squeezed her cheeks hard. When she cried out, he locked his meaty hand in such a way as to keep her mouth open. With his free hand, the Follower revealed a small vial and poured its contents into her mouth.

The moment he let go, Katara began to spit the bitter liquid out, but Aluki snapped her hand down. She used her waterbending to force the liquid down her throat. It burned the same way ice did, and Katara felt its searing path down her chest and into her stomach. She gagged, hard, and tried to vomit, but nothing was coming up. Sagging in the clutches of the Followers, Katara coughed hard enough to keep gagging. Aluki walked up to her, and Katara managed to halt her coughing fit long enough to spit on the woman's boots.

Katara was then dropped, and she hit her knees so hard it made her teeth clatter together. She pitched forward and caught herself on her hands, her head falling forward.

"Go and find the dragon's egg Master Katara." Aluki said and put the tip of her boot on Katara's forehead.

"Don't be late." Aluki added and pushed Katara over.

She didn't notice hitting the ground.

Katara came to still in the oasis.

Sitting up, Katara put a hand to her head and looked around. The storm still raged, but the clouds were now circling, tunneling down into the pool. The trees had leaves; bright, glittering leaves that clinked together like glass.

"Katara." The call was weak and she gasped when she looked. Amaq, barely recognizable, reached up to her. His body was melting into purple putty, seemingly becoming a thick liquid that resembled flesh, albeit colored like candy. Katara rushed to him, trying to find his hands in the putty. She could feel his fingers, but every time she tried to grab them, her hands passed through.

"Amaq, what happened?" She asked, still trying to pull him free.

"I, I don't know. The Followers, they told me… I had to drink." Amaq's voice faded in and out, and it was like Katara only heard pieces of what he was saying.

"I think they poisoned us Amaq." Katara said frantically. No matter what, she could not seem to get a good grip on him. And the putty continued to overtake him. As his cheek began to fall, turning purple as it slid down the structure of his face, Katara started to cry.

"I'm so sorry Amaq." She said.

"No, Katara, don't." Amaq said. "It doesn't hurt."

Her sobbing came harder and she let her hands fall into her lap.

"Why did you lie to me?" She asked. The right side of Amaq's face was gone, and his brown face looked like bone under the purple goo.

"Katara, everything I… make things better…" He said. What was left of his mouth moved clearly, but his voice blinked out.

He tried reaching out for her again and Katara took him into her arms. Now not daring to hold him, she could feel the frame of him against her. That oil feeling was strong now, and it threaded into the feeling of blood. She could feel Amaq in the Spirit World and the physical realm.

She could feel him dying.

The storm continued to rage around them, and Katara looked toward the spout funneling down into the pool. The storm was not made of spirits, though she could see them screaming and clawing at each other within it.

Aivilayoq was not here.

Katara closed her eyes and focused on Amaq. Like the oil and water feeling, she could feel him in two pieces. But they were both liquid, and he was still Amaq.

Katara put her hands into Amaq's body and stood up, pulling on him. The purple goo resisted, coming up with him, but Katara kept pulling. The world had a pulse, and it ebbed and flowed with the constricting of the moon. Like the valves of the heart, every phase of the moon was either an opening or closing. The tides rushed one way and back, like blood moving through the body.

The spirit's energy moved the same way.

With a final jerk, Katara toppled backward. Amaq, fully Amaq, fell on top of her.

"Amaq?" She asked, her hands touching his face.

"Katara." He breathed and put his arms around her neck. He hugged her as she put her arms around him, and they cried into each other's hair.

"Thank you Katara." Amaq said as he finally broke away, pushing himself up before helping Katara to her feet.

"We're not safe yet." She replied and looked back at the swirling funnel.

"No, we're not." Amaq said slowly. "Katara, they're going to kill us."

"What." Katara whirled on him and Amaq stayed staring at the storm.

"They want to open the portals. And they think they can do it if they kill us while we're in this state." He answered and then looked at her.

"I have to go." He said.

"Amaq, no wait-" Katara lunged for him but Amaq disappeared. Yelling in frustration, Katara put her hands in her hair.

One half poisoned Waterbender wasn't going to last long against a large group of Followers.

Turning about, Katara looked around wildly. It had been a hunch that the spirits had been going after Aivilayoq's egg. Now that she was here, seeing the machinations of the Followers, Katara was no longer sure about her theory. This had nothing to do with the egg, but finding it was the best chance she had at stopping the madness.

Running forward, Katara rushed to the center of the storm. There was still lightning here, but it was otherworldly and seemed to be sentient. It stuck close to Katara's footsteps, making her scream as she stumbled. As she pushed herself back up, she resolved not to falter again, and danced lightly as the lightning continued to plague her.

When she approached the funnel, her first thought was about how odd it was that there was no wind. The swirling of the spirits was of their own making, and the storm emerged from their chaos. Lacking a proper current, Katara still felt the buffeting within her. The oil shifted over the water inside of her, and she took in an airless breath.

Her bending would not work here.

At least, her normal bending wouldn't.

Storm taming was a legend. Elders had created the image in their stories of great men and women standing in the prow of their canoes, bending massive sea storms away from their villages. Storm Masters hadn't ever really existed, being just another mythic hero that they wished for in every blizzard.

Katara remembered the massive ice walls of the palace in the North Pole. She imagined the great Benders that had pulled those walls out of the ice and constructed the massive building. Her people were tucked away in myth, but so had the Avatar been written off.

The Avatar had been gone for one hundred years, and his people been wiped out.

Katara took her stance, feeling the chaos. There was no predictable tide to grab hold of, no rope of a pulse to tie her to a being. There was only the mass of spirits, screaming out in furious pain.

Her movements were circular, her hands making overlapping ovals. She urged the chaos into a tide, urged the spirits to ebb and flow. Waving the spirits between the movements, they began to spin apart like threads. Pulling on them as she had the Tizheruk and Amaq, Katara gently urged the threads apart.

As if she were peeling a fruit, as soon as a thread was freed, she cast it to the side. Spirits and lightning twisted about her, and the energy now felt like a breeze against her skin.

The more she freed, the easier it became, and the funnel rapidly thinned. When she had untangled the last thread, the funnel became like fog and floated upward, to the still rumbling sky. Feeling drained, Katara shuffled slowly to the pond, which glowed in much the same way as it did in the physical realm. She sank to the ground at the edge of the pond and leaned heavily onto her hands to look in.

Glowing like a rock of silver was an egg.


	15. Water, Water Everywhere

She couldn't reach it.

The storm about her was still winding, though it was losing strength. The wind was dry, despite smelling wet. Katara looked down into the pond and saw the egg bobbing in the water, reflecting like a star scooped out of a mirror. Although the water was still, it moved up and down lazily, as if it was deciding whether to sink or float.

Katara had knelt at the edge of the pond and held her hands out like a supplicant over the water. Her hands trembled slightly, thinking about the massive monstrosity of Aivilayoq and wondering what would happen when she touched the egg.

Hesitantly, or reverently, Katara dipped her hands into the water. She could not feel the water, but felt the essence of it. Her hands were neither wet nor chilled, but she still felt the same hydrating presence. Her hands continued down into the clear, crisp water, reaching out to the egg.

Her hands continued forward and through the egg.

Overextending her reach, Katara almost toppled forward into the pond. She shot backward, landing on her backside. The top of the water shone with reflected light, and looked like a circle of silver.

Tilting her head up, Katara looked into the dying vortex of the storm. The clouds were thinning out and had taken on a normal gray color. The sky behind it was a velvet purple, and glowed as if it was bioluminescent and harbored no sun.

The egg wasn't in the Spirit World, though it was connected to it.

Closing her eyes, Katara fell backward onto the ground. There was no warmth, and even though she yearned to feel something on her skin, being here was more like standing in an empty room.

She could not regain the physical world so long as the poison was working in her.

Katara opened her eyes and held up her hands. Normally, both Amaq and she looked like translucent versions of themselves. Her hands were still brown, but she could see the faint light from the sky bleeding through them. She wondered briefly if the purple hue they had taken on was from the sky, but as she saw the lines of her veins glow bright, she knew what it was. The same poison that caused goo to swallow up Amaq.

There was no poison on earth that would affect a body in the spirit world, or so Katara had assumed. A spiritual poison then, that had fatal properties.

She dropped her hands and closed her eyes.

From what she understood about the Spirit World, it had been sealed away ages ago. The Spirit Epoch ended and the Age of the Avatar had begun, but neither she nor Aang knew how directly the two were connected. Aang could cross over anywhere, anytime, and yet was only projecting his spirit. Iroh had gone a few times, though he was evasive about his forays, and had only explained that he had to be in an anchor point for the Spirit World, which didn't make anything clearer.

Hei Bei could come and go somehow, and the Followers had summoned the Tizheurk. They were connected to the physical world then, as Katara knew they still revered the Tizheurk in the villages. Hei Bei was not well known to the villagers, but had been a part of the forest.

Katara frowned as her thoughts circled a vortex of their own, but she couldn't figure out what she was supposed to see there.

She was still connected to the physical world, as her body was still alive; or so she hoped. Was there a way to get back to it?

Katara opened her eyes and looked up at the now clear sky. There was no sun, but the sky itself radiated with an otherworldly light. Yet she had seen the reflection of a sun in the pond. Rolling over, Katara crawled back to the edge of the pond. She stared at the floating egg and the rippling circle of a far away star.

Taking a breath and keeping her eyes open wide, Katara tipped forward.

Her spirit lurched and she felt the world turn edgewise. There was a current that sucked her down, but she still felt nothing. The world around her was suddenly dark and cold, a feeling that bubbled up from her memory more than coming in from her skin.

Perhaps the mysterious depths of the icy ocean was more connected to the Spirit World than anything else.

As if answering her question, the water around her was subtly illuminated. The glow was a dark blue that only gave the suggestion of light. But in the boundless expanse of the ocean, Katara could see the waving tendrils of seaweed. Reaching out, some of the strands wrapped around her fingers and wrist, causing her to panic.

It wasn't seaweed.

It was hair.

In the dark glow, Katara saw fish darting between the logs of giant canoes. But the logs curled and she knew they were the remaining stumps of fingers. The goddess of death, the mother of all life, the forsaken daughter, was reaching out back at her.

Fear gripped Katara, penetrating her spirit and constricting around everything that was her self. Terror caused her mind to stop and all she could do was look into the glow, her sight straining to see anything of the spirit that was dragging her down.

"Let go." A soft voice commanded and the water glowed brighter. Katara shook herself and fought against the gripping hair, now coiled around her limbs and torso.

"You cannot command me." A darker voice, a deeper voice, an older voice rumbled out of the ice.

"I do not command the ocean, but it listens nonetheless." The soft voice said and Katara watched a silver fish swim between her and the growing darkness.

"The ocean betrayed me, and you forsake me. I will do as I please." The darkness drew fast and Katara could see the beautiful face of the drowned princess. Sedna scowled as the giant Koi fish twisted and Yue floated between them. Sedna was massive, her face bigger than even the largest iceberg Katara had seen. Yue, still the size of her mortal form, didn't flinch.

"Your pain is older than I am, but I know of it. You have to release Katara, who has done nothing wrong." Yue replied.

"I did nothing wrong yet my own father cut off my fingers and cast me into the ocean to save himself!" Sedna roared and her hair tightened around Katara.

"You and I were both just good daughters." Yue said, and Sedna stilled. The ancient goddess turned to look at Katara.

"You have been poisoned." Sedna said and Katara, still restricted, only nodded curtly. Sedna sighed and released her hold. "You will return to me."

All of them would, when their bladders sank down to her butchered hands. They would be reshaped, and returned, released from her grasp as were the multitudes of fish and arctic fowl. Katara held out her arms to let the hair trail down and caress her hands.

Their mother was needy but loving.

Before Katara could turn, Yue changed her form back into the koi fish and gave a twisting farewell before swimming away. The darkness receded and Katara swam upward. Or what she assumed was upward. In the consuming expanse, and without air bubbles to show her skyward, Katara didn't quite know which direction was which.

Turning back, she tried to see the traces of Sedna, to see how the hair moved in the water. But there was nothing left of the spirit, or of anything. Like her dreams, she floated now in the unending expanse of the ocean, without need of air.

Her eyes strained to see anything in the shifting glow of the water. In this liminal space, Katara was hoping for some sign of life to tell her where she was. An octoseal, or diving penguin, anything to tell her she was moving in the right direction.

Or else another spirit. There should have been a horde of them, attending to their mother.

But it was empty.

Katara closed her eyes, feeling the pulsing of the poison inside, and curled around it. There was nothing but her and this pain.

The first time Katara saw a spirit was when she was five. It had been during the middle of the twilight season, when the sun shone during the day but the dark was still a gathering thing. Kya had taken Sokka and Katara to the shore, to scavenge the nests there. The eiderowls were large creatures, easily the size of a toddler, and they made Katara nervous. By this point in the year, the goslings had grown their own proper feathers and no longer needed the down insulation of the nest. The people of Haida, however, always relied upon it.

The soft, malt smelling feathers were stuffed into jackets, hats, and numerous other things to keep them warm. But gathering the down meant dealing with nits, angry fowl, and the rotten smell of gosling droppings.

Kya grabbed large handfuls of down, ignoring the flying nits at her eyes and nose. Sokka, unconcerned about cleanliness, was tasked with picking up the pellet droppings of the adult eiderowls - useful for fuel - and Katara trailed along. Her handfuls were usually more nest than down, and one mittened hand was constantly waving away the black hovering cloud that invaded the wetter spots of her face.

With nimble fingers, Kya plucked late season eggs and shoved them in a pouch.

"Late birds, they wouldn't have been able to keep the young alive during the dark season." Kya told her. "We're just cleaning up their nests."

Katara would swear to herself then that she wouldn't eat the poor late eggs, but by the time the sun went down, she was often too tired and hungry to complain.

But that night, the first night out at the shore, Katara couldn't sleep. Despite the fatigue that had soaked into her arms and back, she found she couldn't get comfortable in the pallet she shared with her mother and brother.

Kicking off the blanket, Katara struggled against the night's attempts to keep her in bed. She struggled upward and went to crouch at the small fire. The igloo had been built prior to their coming here, as this shore is where the men started their fishing trip. Katara wondered if her father had built this one, imaging that his family would be shuffling in a week later. Gazing up at the hole in the roof, Katara wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. The smoke that rose up to the ceiling was travelling a chute of moonlight. It was peaceful and calm, yet Katara was still unsettled.

The pillar of moonlight suddenly went dark and Katara scowled up at the hole. From the shadows, she heard a scrabbling on ice and the shifting of feathers. Despite her fear of eiderowls, curiosity pushed Katara out of the igloo, running to catch a glimpse of what had landed there.

Turning and looking up, she only saw darkness. But it was a darkness that suggested an object, as it blotted out the stars behind.

Katara let out a warm breath, and it curled in the air for just a moment. The darkness on top of the igloo grew before moving, coming down at Katara.

Flinching, she stepped back, not looking at what landed before before her.

When she finally did look up, she gasped.

It was as big to her then as Wan Shi Tong had been many years later. The bird towered over her, its black and white feathers both catching the moonlight now. The green band around its neck and the carrot colored beak had been painted on with a watercolor brush, and the feathers laid flat making the body look smooth.

"I'm sorry I ate your eggs." Katara said meekly. The Greater Eiderowl said nothing, only swivled its head to the side. She went on, adding lamely, "I was hungry."

The Greater Eiderowl still made no reply. It only ruffled up its feathers before digging under its wing with its beak. Plucking out a feather, it dropped it at Katara's feet and jettisoned itself back into the sky. It moved so quickly and with complete silence, Katara wondered if it had ever really been there at all.

The feather, much like the memory of the bird itself, was lost in the next year when the Southern Raiders came. It only came now as Katara floated in the ocean.

When she opened her eyes, something was there.

A sealotter cocked its head, examining her. This one was an adult and was as long as Katara was tall. It was grooming itself, it's top two arms leisurely rubbing its face while the lower set briskly brushed at its middle. The furred flipper, more like a paddle than a proper flipper, flicked lazily to and fro.

From some secreted pouch, it withdrew a rock and - its top set of arms still rubbing its face - handed it to Katara. She took it, hesitantly wondering if this sealotter was a spirit or one of her world.

After accepting the gift, the sealotter turned and started to swim away. Looking into her hands, Katara found an eiderowl egg. Clutching the egg to her chest, Katara swam after the sealotter, following it upward to air.

Out of the blinding emptiness, there loomed a new shadow. Katara halted abruptly as she watched the sealotter slip into a large crack of the underwater mountain. This was what held up the spirit oasis, to give land in a desert of water. Pushing the eiderowl egg into a pocket, Katara swam after the sealotter, pushing easily between the crags of tunnels. Her spirit form flexed and thinned, making her able to fit through any gap so long as she focused on her guide.

After squeezing through crevices and following dips and turns that made Katara reel, she lost her guide. Feeling a sort of panic overtake her, Katara blindy rushed through a course. When she shoved herself through an especially tight u-bend, she was suddenly struck by a sense of vertigo. Katara floated in a vast cavern, empty save for a few small, white fish.

Much like the hole of the igloos from home, Katara saw that a pillar of light fell from the rim of the spirit pond. She floated into it, looking ever upward. The egg, more opaque in the liminal space between realms, looked more like a miniature moon. Katara swam to it, gently taking it into her arms and holding it to her chest.

She emerged from the pond still floating, coming into just another ocean.

A war ravaged this space. A Tizheruk battered itself against a bubble of ice as a triad of Followers pummeled a figure surrounded by rings of fire. Feeling the same panic from the underwater caverns, Katara rushed to the ice shield, knowing what it was protecting.

Amaq looked sick as he beared against the ice shield. Sweat poured from a crown at his hairline and he grunted everytime the spirit hit. Her body lay prone, her arms thrown out and a clear liquid dribbling from the corners of her mouth. At the sight of her body, after seeing how the men who had sworn themselves to her were suffering, still holding the egg of Aivilayoq, Katara briefly hesitated. She could feel Sedna's call and the weight of the poison inside of her.

As she hesitated, Katara shifted the egg in her arms to put a hand to the egg in her pocket. She pulled it out and examined it as it filled the space of her palm.

Kya would put the eggs whole into the soup she simmered over the fire in the igloo. When ladelled into their bowls, Sokka would immediately mash the whole thing, slurping up the crunchy mash quickly.

As they got older, Sokka and the younger of the men would eat them raw, crushing the brittle shells in their teeth and having the yolks seep out from their lips.

Without a second thought, Katara popped the egg into her mouth and jumped back into her body.

She bit down in reflex, and almost immediately gagged as the cold liquid yolk flooded down her throat. Keeping her mouth shut but sputtering, she could feel liquid start up her nose and Katara rolled over. The sounds of the battle were subdued as she focused on swallowing the debris of the egg. After she was able to take a breath, the noise saturated the air and she looked down.

The egg was under her, glowing like a highly polished gem.

"Katara!" Amaq screamed and she was up on her feet. She added her feeble strength to his, reinforcing the shield as the Tizheruk slammed against it.

"I have the egg." She said and he glanced at her for only a second. His gaze was wild and Katara shied away from him.

"What now?" He asked.

"I have no idea." She replied and then immediately began to vomit. Purple goo splattered onto the snow and Amaq turned his back to the ice wall to hold her. He braced her as her whole body heaved and thick globs of goo erupted from her throat. When she spat out the last sloppy glob, her body felt better.

"How many are left?" Katara asked. As both of them had left the ice shield, it now began to splinter under the force of the spirit.

"One Tizheruk, three followers."

"Aluki?"

"No." Amaq shook his head but still looked haunted. "But I did not see her fall."

"Hold the egg, I've got this." She said and took her stance. Amaq grabbed up the egg, looking like a child holding a toy for comfort. Letting out a steady breath, the water in the air steamed around her. Zuko had learned to whip fire like a Waterbender, and she had learned to use her breath.

The ice bubble exploded into steam and from it shot spikes of ice. The tizheruk reared with a terrible bellowing screech as Katara parted the curtain of steam. Stepping through and moving forward, Katara went through the basic steps of her training with Pakku. Water melted free from the snow under her and whipped at the Tizheruk. It recoiled but darted forward, its large jaws unhinged. Katara used the snow to push it away from her but keeping its own momentum, moving it past them. It rolled around itself in the air and Katara turned back. From behind her, she pulled water from the spirit pond itself. She brought her arms forward and the twin rivers of water slammed into the massive serpent.

Instead of flowing away, Katara pulled her arms back with her fingers splayed wide on both hands. The columns of water turned into multiple ropes, shackling the spirit's slithering body. It bucked and roiled, and Katara felt her own sweat coming out from her pores. The ropes went taut and the Tizehruk was slowly being pulled forward, yet the strain lessened in Katara's arms. She looked, only briefly, and saw Amaq beside her, the egg at his feet.

He pulled on her own bending, like extra hands on a physical rope. It startled Katara almost to distraction. Benders could add their own to others, or else push against someone's bending. But to move with another bender took a level of synchronization that had till now been fantasy.

Refocusing, Katara renewed her hold on her bending and they both yanked with a yell. The spirit, pulling hard against them, was ripped apart.

Katara felt sick at the sight of it, feeling a deeply rooted horror.

"What now?" Aamq demanded, shaking her from her own muted thoughts. Katara turned and stared at him.

"Zuko." She said and Amaq nodded.

"You take this, I'll get the Fire Lord." He said and shoved the egg back into Katara's arms. Before she could protest, Amaq turned and propelled himself away, using the ice under his feet to glide quickly over the snow. Katara immediately turned and ran back to the pond.

Midrun, her foot fell into soft snow and wrenched her ankle horribly sideways. Katara rolled onto her shoulder and called up ice to incase the egg as it flew from her grasp. By the time she made it onto her back, Katara pulled up a screen of ice, countering Aluki's falling attack.

The other woman snarled as a spike of ice dug into Katara's block, sending spidering cracks along the underside. Sinking herself into the snow, Katara pushed the block up as liquid water and shoved Aluki off of her. It didn't throw her very far, and Katara had to swim through the snow to get away from her. Kicking upright, Katara leapt into the air while Aluki shot more ice spikes up at her. Katara melted them, pulled them around her body as a water whip, and shot it back at Aluki as she fell. Aluki raised her arms and pulled up flat sheets of ice to block the missiles.

While Aluki's vision was obscured, Katara slid her feet as she made undulating circles of her hands. When Aluki dispersed her shields to attack, Katara pushed down and the snow under the other woman sank down a good foot.

Unperturbed, Aluki pushed out in a jetty of water, cackling as she kept the water swirling under her.

It was difficult to fight another Waterbender. Every attack she could throw could be rebuffed or redirected back at her. Katara felt her energy shift and she found her thoughts circling over as she dodged attacks and shot projectiles back at her enemy. The water around her called out to her, but so did Aluki's blood. So did Aluki's spirit.

Cursing, Katara shoved back the emerging thoughts. Still, her refusal to use her other skills caused her to focus more and more on a battle that was too equally matched. After being poisoned and battered, and with the fight lingering on too long, Katara felt her strength flag.

Katara pulled up a wave of water and sent it at Aluki, but the Follower parted it easily. When the split waves paused, so did the two women. The water then slammed back together and froze, trapping Aluki with a wild look in her eyes.

"Katara!" Amaq called and Katara moved around the frozen wave. Zuko had an arm around Amaq and was limping noticeably while Amaq himself sported a long gash down his now sleeveless arm. Katara ran to them, taking Zuko's face in her hands. As she kissed him, Amaq shrugged Zuko off and Katara felt him put his arms around her.

"Are you alright?" She asked when they parted.

"Fine now." Zuko murmured and Katara gave a shaky laugh. He gazed over his shoulder and Katara turned.

"Can she get out of that?" He asked.

"No, she can't move." Amaq answered.

"I seem to recall that not being an issue for someone else." Zuko said and Katara jostled him as he braced against her.

"I had picked up a few tricks you can't find at the Poles." She replied.

"Do you know what to do about the egg?" Amaq asked.

"Egg?" Zuko repeated curiously.

"It's a long story." Katara said and moved forward. They all gazed at Aluki as they passed and made their way to the other frozen pillar. It was only now, as Katara could hear the crunch of their footsteps in the snow, that she realized how quiet it was.

"The storm stopped." She remarked.

"It started to peter out after the last Tizheruk…" Amaq drifted and Katara felt queasy again.

"Come on." Katara muttered and they hurried forward. When they reached the pillar of ice, Katara gently eased Zuko off of her. He sat down with a huff and Amaq shifted on his feet, looking exhausted.

"Did Aivilayoq give you any idea how we're supposed to use this?" Amaq asked as they both looked at the egg.

"Who is Aivilayoq?" Zuko asked.

"A dragon we met in the Spirit world." Katara and Amaq said together. As Zuko sighed, Katara and Amaq chuckled.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out." She said. Amaq patted her shoulder and turned away from her.

"You get that, and I'll get Aluki under control." He said. Katara intoned her agreement and Amaq walked off.

"Just nothing right?" Zuko questioned. Katara turned and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm allowed to have friends." She said.

"Not if they look like him!" Zuko said in mock condemnation. Katara laughed again and turned back to the egg. She melted the ice easily and grabbed the egg, turning back to see Amaq's brogress. He was thawing Aluki out slowly and he looked concern.

"Make sure you keep her hands frozen." Katara called and she saw Amaq smile. Looking now to Zuko, she helped him up and they walked over to the pond.

"How bad off is the leg?" She asked. It was awkward, holding the large egg under an arm while bracing Zuko with the other.

"Not too bad. Amaq assured me nothing was broken." Zuko said.

"I'm surprised you let him examine you."

"It's not me I don't want him touching."

Katara snorted and they moved forward in silence for a bit. As the approached the grass, she could hear ice cracking behind her, and the soft fall of snow shifting. Innocuous sounds after such a difficult day.

When they were next to the pond, Katara eased Zuko down onto the ground. He collapsed willingly, sighing as he laid back in the grass.

"I could sleep for ages." He murmured and shut his eyes. Katara only shook her head and looked back to see Amaq.

But she couldn't see him.

There was a rolling cloud of snow, and for one terrified second, Katara feared a snowstorm. Then, blades of ice shot out of the cloud and Katara screamed.

"Katara!" Zuko yelled. She turned to move but her feet were stuck fast in the ice.

"Zuko!" She yelled back and faced him, just to watch him get knocked backward by a wave of snow as he struggled upright. Katara ripped her feet free in a yell and turned just as Aluki sprang upon her.

"No!" Zuko shouted and a blast of fire ripped past Aluki's face. Sliding around Katara, Aluki brought Amaq's knife up to her throat and pinned Katara's other hand behind her back.

"Not one more step Fire Lord." Aluki said, pressing the edge of the blade into the skin of Katara's neck.

"Aluki!" Katara growled and Aluki brought Katara's arm up higher, causing her to cry out.

"You destroyed a spirit, so I will destroy you." Aluki hissed into Katara's ear.

The knife moved keenly across her throat.

Katara heard screams as she fell backward.


	16. Blood and Seawater

This time she could feel the water. It hit her back with a heavy slap that knocked the breath out of her lungs and the egg out of her hands. The cold made her numb and that, with the keen edge Amaq's knife had held, took all feeling away from the wound at her throat. In liquid, the blood seemed like a solid ribbon, rippling through the air. Light still poured through the pond and it illuminated her descent. Katara knew she would freeze before her blood escaped her. At least it was a beautiful death.

Then something shot into the water and went whizzing past her. Gasping, Katara began to flounder as frigid salt water cascaded into her chest. It filled her, but she choked on it, unable to breathe in her element. In the moment she started to drown, another body fell into the water. Strong arms grabbed her and hauled her upward. When she came back into the air, the ocean she had swallowed was gently pulled out.

Disoriented, coughing, and exhausted, Katara collapsed against something firm.

"Is she okay?" Zuko asked, his voice thin with panic.

"Fine enough Priest." Amaq replied gruffly. "Give me a moment." Katara felt her clothes being pulled as Amaq used his bending to dry her.

"Why did you keep me back?" Zuko asked after a few moments of silence.

"You would have died of shock."

"I invaded the North Pole."

"We can manage such feats as reckless boys." Amaq said. "I would not risk it twice."

The two went quiet again as Amaq finished. With a sigh, Katara heard him fall back onto the ground.

"You are a brave man, but foolish." Amaq added. Warmth began to seep in from where Zuko was touching her.

"Love breeds foolishness." Zuko murmured and then startled as Amaq laughed.

"Perhaps for those who are trying to get laid." Amaq said. "I'm convinced you all rationalize your foolishness by that one equally foolish act."

"So you and Katara never…?" Zuko asked.

"Never. My love for her-"

"You love her?" Zuko interrupted sharply.

"Of course Priest. I love her the way I love the moon. It's in my nature to love her."

"I don't understand."

"You couldn't. You look at her and see what you see. I see something different."

They fell silent again and Katara tried to open her eyes.

"You're cold." Zuko remarked.

"I'll be fine. There's more blubber to me than to her."

Katara coughed now and both men sat up straight. Her hands went to her throat and, as she feared, her blood was still oozing from the slice in her neck. While she was warming, so was the wound, and the blood was coming faster. As her hands came away, Amaq yelled and Zuko tightened his grip on her.

"She's bleeding!" Zuko clamored.

"Damn them to Sedna, it's deep." Amaq hissed and his hands went to Katara's throat. "Aluki grabbed my hunting knife."

"Heal her!" Zuko yelled.

"I can't! It's…" Amaq sounded on the verge of tears. "I don't have enough left for that."

Katara made gulping noises as she pawed at Zuko's hands. He held hers, both of them slick with her blood.

"Katara, no, no please." Zuko said, sobbing, and kissed at her fingers.

"Daqatulakan." Amaq muttered. "Do you have a knife?"

"Yes. But?" Zuko cradled Katara closer to his chest.

"Aluki didn't completely sever the artery. You need to cauterize the wound."

"What?!"

"She's dying!"

Katara could feel the chill of the ocean lapping against her, the tide of her waning heartbeat pulling it in. She clung weakly to Zuko's robes and felt her eyes closing again.

Then there was the chill of the burn.

As the blade of Zuko's knife cooked her wound closed, Katara screamed. The instant it was done, Amag had his hands to her throat, using his healing to cool and soothe.

Katara struggled against the urge to faint, though she sagged in Zuko's arms. The pain in her neck was gone, as Amaq was a talented healer. She just wanted to rest, but she tried to turn to them.

"Haaa." Katara rasped, unable to form words. She winced as her injured throat spasmed.

"Shh, shh. It's okay." Zuko said. Katara turned her head and saw Amaq on the other side. He knelt in front of Zuko and could have easily taken them both in his arms.

"I tried." He said, as an apology. Katara brought her hand up slowly to cup his cheek and smiled. Amaq closed his eyes as he pressed his hand against hers.

"Hhhiigg." She tried again and Amaq opened his eyes, staring back into her own. Katara knew then that he was hers, the way Tui and La belonged to each other.

With a nod, Amaq stood again and Zuko shifted Katara's weight in his arms. Distantly, in a part of her spirit that was always feeling, Katara could sense the fizzing in his legs as his circulation was restricted.

"I have to get the egg. I'll be right back." Amaq said. When the splash came, Zuko pulled Katara higher into his arms and pressed his cheek against hers.

She could feel her pulse in her throat. It was strange to have had such an injury and now feel nothing. Whatever Amaq had held in reserves, it was enough to take away her pain.

Katara struggled lightly in his embrace and Zuko loosed a bit. She sat up and touched tenderly at the band on her neck. The skin was still hot and smooth, but still wet. Frightened, Katara looked at her fingers but only saw the clear ooze that often came with healing. No blood.

Katara managed to tilt her head back. Zuko kissed her, rolling over to encompass her.

There had been too much today. So much had happened and nothing had even been resolved, but Katara was spent. Even with Zuko's lips on hers, Katara started to cry. He held her, moving his mouth to her ear where he tried to calm her. Clinging to him, Katara started to give out a strangled wailing as the salt water she had breathed in now sprang free from her eyes and nose.

"Oof." Zuko made a muffled sound and fell over. Katara sucked in shuddering breaths as she looked down at his body. And the boomerang that laid next to him.

Turning, Katara struggled forward, unable to regain her feet as Sokka came roaring up to them. He was bleeding, covering his face much like the wolf's paint, and his ponytail had come loose. Katara reached for him but he lept past her, landing on Zuko and pulling a fist back.

"Stay away from her!" Sokka yelled and punched Zuko in the face.

And Katara fainted.

At a hard jostle, she roused. For a moment, while her eyes were open, she saw a red robe. Then she fell back, and Katara returned to the woollined darkness.

The next she woke, it was with a gasp. Katara found herself in a bed, but not in the women's dorm. Looking around, she realized she was in a building, though it was decorated much like a large igloo. On the floor was a pallet stacked high with furs. As she watched it, the furs shifted and Katara gave a yelp. When the furs stilled and made no other movement, she leaned forward on her arms. Her throat was dry, and Katara knew she was dehydrated. Otherwise, she felt fine.

Tentatively, she touched her throat. The skin had been healed but the scar was still smooth.

When Aang had burned her hands, it was easy to smooth away the wounds. But this hand been a deeper burn, and sealed by Amaq's weak attempts to heal it. Whomever had gone further had removed the heat and infection, but the scar still remained.

A door opened and Katara startled again, falling onto the mattress and scrambling deeper under the blankets. Fearful, she waited as she heard footsteps on the wood floor.

Then it was only Natan.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he sidestepped the mound on the floor.

"Fine." Katara said, her voice coming out like smoke. It crackled in her throat and came out like acrid wisps.

"You've been asleep for awhile now. Your father is worried." Natan approached them bed and looked down at her. As her voice grumbled in her throat, he just blinked at her. When she didn't make an actual reply, he turned and they both looked at the mound on the floor.

"The prince has also been sleeping for awhile." Natan said.

"hhhhhhheeEGG." Katara forced out and Natan turned back to her.

"It's safe. The Avatar has it." He answered. Satisfied, Katara rolled onto her back. Her entire body ached and it was difficult to hold herself up.

"May I sit?" Natan asked and Katara nodded, putting her hands on her chest. The mattress dipped as Natan sat down and Katara closed her eyes. She was getting tired again.

The shaman didn't actually say anything, and Katara start to drift off in the silence. She felt the triple thrum of heartbeats and it sounded like waves breaking on a rocky shore. Like the tiny breakers that were more foam than force, that chased the tiny crabs out of their holes.

There was also a new feeling, something more languid but still ebbing and flowing. It was how Katara could feel other Waterbenders; their energy swirled around them like orbiting rivers. They connected to each chi point and continued, never resting. Even now - beaten and tired - KAtara could feel the rivers around Amaqjuaq and herself. But it was more acute now.

Katara could feel how a reservoir within Amaq was slowly filling. She knew how to dam it up, to stopper it. She could even empty it, turning it into a sieve and letting the liquid fall out. By feeling this energy, she could feel where it was going and where it could go.

There was a third pool.

A much smaller one, and almost completely still. It sat under Natan's heartbeat. The pool felt so much like her Waterbending, but it was dormant. Quiet. And she could not find a crack with which to expose it.

Katara frowned and Natan shifted. He was a non-Bender, with only the abilities granted to him by his right as the shaman.

"The Fire Nation emissaries have left." Natan said and Katara tried to struggle awake. Her eyes were heavy, and she could only manage a few seconds of sight before her lids fell again. Sleep was seeping up through the mattress into her back, and soon only her arms could flail feebly.

"We sent them with a letter to Arnook, and we needed speed. The Followers here were captured, but we don't know if they sent word. Aktuk still might manage to slip through." Natan continued.

Katara tried to speak, but fatigued now settled in her chest.

"He cannot get to Xai Bau."

Her third waking was final. Katara cast off the blanket and immediately threw her legs over the side. The pallet on the floor was gone, and Katara stared around the empty room. They were Natan's quarters, and had the look of a shaman. His ritual mask hung prominently on the opposite wall, and every other free inch was taken by shelves. Books took up much of that space, but there were carved boxes, leather map cases, knives and arrows, and an eclectic collection of other things.

Natan like clutter.

Standing slowly, Katara felt her muscles tremble. Picking up the loose pant leg of her underclothes, she saw a trail of bruises on her skin. They were still purple, so she knew that she had at least not lost too many days.

Pulling a blanket around her shoulders, Katara shuffled over to the door. She opened it and heard voices coming from below her. There was only a short platform outside of the doorway before Katara saw the stairs, and she was able to look over the railing into another room. Her family sat at a table, talking with Natan.

"Katara!" Sokka was the first to see her and he jumped out of his chair. He stopped himself at the bottom of the stairs, watching as she made her way slowly down. When she was on the last stair, he held out his hand and she took it, smiling softly at him.

"We have a lot to discuss." He whispered as he guided her slowly around. Katara nodded and smiled at the others. Hakoda had risen and hugged her when she walked over. Malina started to sniffle and Aang smiled up at her. Amaq only poured more tea.

"What's happened?" Katara asked, her voice still raspy.

"Rin is flying hell for leather back toward the North Pole. Hopefully they don't run into more trouble with the Earth Kingdom." Hakoda said and watched intently as Katara took her seat. Once she was settled, everyone else seemed to relax in their seats.

"Aluki?" Katara questioned.

"Dead." Amaq stated and glanced over at Natan. "I speared her myself."

"The Followers were a bit harder to deal with." Natan added and faced Katara. "They had ties to another group outside of the Poles."

"Who?" Katara asked.

"We don't know." Natan admitted.

"We're reaching out to the White Lotus to see what they know." Aang said. "And find out if the Sun Warriors know anything about the egg."

Katara only made a noise in response. Sokka put a hand on her shoulder and she looked over at him. He had a neat row of black stitches on his forehead, and she thought he would bear a scar from this as well.

Perhaps the only remarkable thing is that most of them had ended up unscathed till this late.

Having her thoughts drawn back to Zuko, Katara frowned again.

"Rin." She said and Sokka shook his head with a sigh.

"The whole Fire Nation crew went back. Including the priest." Sokka added with a firm tone.

"That priest was remarkable. I have never seen firebending like that before." Malina said with breathy excitement. "He moved like a Waterbender."

Something flashed in Aang's eyes, and Katara knew that at least he and Sokka knew.

They spoke of the rebuilding, of drilling, and how best to prepare for the Spirit Festival in the winter. Katara rested her throat and stayed silent.

Even after sleeping for a full day, Katara still found herself easily exhausted. Amaq too wilted after being on his feet for more than a few hours, and they both were pushed in front of the healers that had come with the construction Waterbenders. They found nothing and recommended rest, but Katara knew what it was.

The poison lingered, though there wasn't a trace of purple to be found. It slowed their bodies and tainted their sleep, so that Amaq and Katara both had nightmares. They slept then frequently, but briefly.

With erratic sleep and never ending daylight, Katara lost track of time. She could demarcate some sort of passage by how the burnt and damaged sites were rebuilt. But once they reached a certain point, it all just looked like ongoing construction.

From time to time, when things were quiet, Sokka and Aang found time to sit with her.

Sokka and Amaq worked on their carvings, as men their age were expected to. Aang occasionally picked up a chunk of ice and attempted to bend it into different shapes.

When they were alone with her, either of them, they spoke about what they knew.

"Soon I'll hope you'll tell me how I managed to pummel my blood brother when he was supposed to be thousands of miles away." Sokka said as they took a walk around the town. "But I guess I understand some things now."

Like in the North Pole, Katara tried to evade Aang. For some time she managed it, finding somewhere else to be or else feigning exhaustion. But Amaq wouldn't tolerate it, and walked her around a corner one day and right to Aang.

"When did we start lying to each other?" He asked as Amaq walked away. Katara turned her face and looked down at the snow. "I kept thinking no matter what happened, everything would be okay."

Aang took Katara's mittened hand in his and she looked at them.

"That we would be okay." He said softly. "I loved you the first moment I saw you."

Katara slowly pulled her hand away from his and looked him full in the face..

"I didn't." She said. They stood in silence till Aang began to nod.

"I know." He said. Then he chuckled.

"But Zuko?"

Time finally had a measure when they received the letter from the North Pole. Aktuk had escaped, setting fire to the kashim before he did. The second most sacred place in the North had been irreparably damaged and buried under ten feet of snow.

An Earth Kingdom airship had also arrived.

Their stop after the storm had bothered a lot of people it seemed, and word had made it all the way to King Kuei. He had sent a royal emissary of some sort, to take an account of what happened. Arnook didn't explain all of what the emissary wanted, only that Amaq was needed back as soon as possible.

For speed, it was decided that just the four youths would travel on Appa. After collecting supplies and packing everything for the journey, they were set to leave.

"I love you, my snowflake." Hakoda said as he hugged Katara. She smiled as he kissed her cheek and stepped away to let Sokka say his goodbyes.

"So, since we're leaving, will you tell us now?" Katara questioned. Her voice had returned and it was not the only thing she had been working on for the past two weeks. Her ability to feel and read energy had gotten much better. Her abilities now tapped into her angakok heritage.

"Tell you what?" Hakoda asked. Katara cleared her throat and looked at Malina.

"We thought we'd save it for after the wedding." Malina said just as Hakoda blurted, "How did you know?"

"What?" Sokka asked and Katara chuckled.

"I know you're a bit old, but," Malina stepped closer to Hakoda, who put his arm around her. "You're going to be a big brother again!"

"WHAT?!" Sokka bellowed and Katara started to laugh.

Seeing them, Katara knew she was ready. Yupik was never going to be her home, but she knew Malina was finally able to make a space her own. Hakoda would have a family again, with a young wife and another son. He would lead the confederation of southern tribes and be a leader equal to Arnook. Katara could read it as easily as the most cliched novel.

Perhaps she would return when her father had passed. When his second Waterbender child succeeded him.

Turning away, Katara walked to where Aang and Amaq stood talking. The pregnancy wouldn't change much, but it would change enough. Malina wasn't very far along, but was advanced enough that Katara had been easily able to read the gender and bending. He would have another heir, a better one, and Katara wasn't as needed.

She was still the first Princess of the South Pole, and she knew she would never be able to escape her ties here. Marrying Amaq would still bring the two poles closer, and strengthen the tribes to deal with the Swamp Tribe. Katara was a hero, a legend, but wholly unnecessary to how real life worked.

What she looked forward to most of all, was the freedom. Katara could leave the poles, indefinitely. She could marry a foreigner. Unable to hide her smile, Katara jogged over to the other men.

A future with Zuko had never seemed more attainable.

Before they were sent off, Yupik had one last feast. They celebrated their dead and discussed the Spirit Oasis. The Followers of the Atka had shown them that they had neglected their duties. Natan stepped forward and spoke about his plans.

"The White Lotus has been sending me texts. Stories that had once been lost - fallen overboard during the Great Migration or buried during the Raids of Black Snow - have been found. We can make our own kashim and be the caretakers of the Atka, as we were meant." He said, his voice booming over the gathered crowd. The cheer that went up made tears spring in Katara's eyes. She hoped that one day, even if she were old and gray, that she would be able to see the Spirits return to the world.

Aang took her hand under the table and squeezed it.

Still tiring quickly, Amaq and Katara pushed their small group to hurry toward Appa. It still took time and when they had gotten the saddle on, they heard engines.

A large air cruiser broke through a cloud bank and the waving crowd let out a unified scream. The Earth Kingdom symbol quelled most of the fear, but a ripple of anxiety was felt through them all.

The ear splitting screech that erupted from the massive gondola didn't help.

A ribbon of metal arched from the ship and zipped downward. A whooping yell was at the head; a needle of noise pulling a thread of metal.

"Toph." Aang and Sokka said in unison.

"Wha-" Amaq started and then yelled as a missile landed next to them. Snow erupted into the sky and Aang managed to blow it away from the crowd.

"Ok, ok, that was fun at least." Toph's voice came from within the hole and Katara sighed. Hakoda and Natan kept the crowd away as Aang and Sokka peered down the hole. Amaq stood back with Katara, looking perplexed.

"What is she doing here?" Amaq whispered sharply. Katara snorted as Aang pulled Toph up with a pile of snow, dumping it all on her when she hit level ground.

"I'm not certain. But, then again, we never know why Toph does what she does." Katara replied.

"What are you doing here?" Sokka asked, repeating Amaq's question to Toph herself.

"Technically I'm here to try and get drilling rights for my family. You know, since the Earth Kingdom is about to have access to a massive industry." Toph answered.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"Well, that brings me to why I'm really here." Toph said and idly cracked her knuckles. "I'm here to take you to a wedding."

"Please tell me this is not how you're announcing…." Aang started and Toph punched him hard in the arm.

"No idiot. Why would I ever?" She said indignantly as if the idea offended her.

"Who then?" Sokka asked.

"Get this. Kuei's older half-sister is being married off to," Toph paused, a massive grin on her face. "Zuko."


	17. Never Say Never

Betrothal necklaces weren't meant to be worn by more than one person.

All niceties aside, Kanna had begun to put on weight in the South Pole. She had joked that after nearly starving in the Earth Kingdom as a runaway, she had made up for it when she reached Haida. The band had stretched then, and besides, was weathered from her trek through mountains and desert.

Kya had been thin; the Fire Nation raiders had cut off trade routes for decades and they all had always been slightly malnourished. So while not under strain, the necklace had been worn soft.

It had felt snug when Katara first started to wear it. She had gone for years being lightly strangled by her mother's touch. But she wore it, and it started to loosen. It's how she had lost it on the prison ship. Then, in Zuko's possession, it had been worn erratically. He claimed to have kept it in a pocket, but Aang had snagged it off his wrist. Hiding in the Fire Nation she had packed it away where it mildewed slightly in the humid air.

Over the years it had begun to slip on Katara's neck. During the struggle with the Followers, it had been pushed up, guarding her larynx. Aluki's cut had nicked the bottom of the necklace, the cut looking cleaner than the rest of the band.

Holding it now with a reverent hand, Katara sighed. The woven band was stained and had pockets of popped threads. The carved token was battered but still holding strong. The ends were frayed. The clasp rattled.

It was not supposed to have become an heirloom. It had not been created with the intention of passing it down.

Putting the necklace in the box, Katara felt empty. It had been with her for so long, had stood for so much, and she had to put it away.

She had never thought she would get a new necklace. It was a North Pole tradition after all, and Aang was no Water Tribal.

And neither was Zuko.

Katara touched her neck and felt the scar. It was still so new it was jarring. But it was another necklace, and one she would never have to part with.

The box went into a trunk and the trunk was locked. Then Katara turned and walked out of her cabin.

Toph's air cruiser was deafeningly loud. It had twin engines that helped keep it aloft, but they kicked up such a clamor that this model wasn't used very often. However it was large, and fast. They were barrelling toward Ba Sing Se, where they would meet up with Iroh. It was not, as Toph had said, a wedding. It was a betrothal ceremony, and yet it did not make the ache Katara felt lessen in any way. When they had loaded on, and put Appa in the hold, someone had told Toph. Katara hadn't seen her since they boarded.

Katara hoped that she could make sense of it, before they arrived. There had barely been any time for Rin and Zuko to make it to the North Pole. How had he gotten engaged?

Dipping down a corridor, Katara quickly opened another door and slipped into a room. Amaq, in the midst of changing, startled and attempted to cover his chest.

"What?" He blurted as Katara closed the door and eyed him.

"What do you know?" She asked. Amaq tapped his fingers lightly against his chest and his eyes darted around.

"Not much. The Earth Kingdom has been pressing for drilling rights and has suggested such a thing would make a good dowry present if I were to marry the Earth King's niece." Amaq replied.

"Why would Arnook agree to that?"

"He wouldn't. Not really. After Yue, and. Sokka." Amaq paused, cleared his throat, and continued to dress. "He wasn't keen on marrying me off against my will."

"Did you agree?"

"I didn't disagree."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I have to produce a Waterbender, to be my heir." Amaq said quickly as he shoved his head through the top of a tunic. "I'm not really enthused about that whole process you know."

Katara sighed and walked over to his cot, sitting down on the edge.

"I'm not seeing how an arranged marriage would make that worse." She remarked. Amaq pulled a face and she held up her hands.

"I'm more likely to have a Waterbending child with a Tribal woman. Less so a foreigner." He said.

"Arnook isn't a Waterbender." Katara countered. "Neither was Hahn."

"And that's the problem. The Waterbenders have been dying out since before the war. Now, we're almost extinct." Amaq said. He walked over and sat next to Katara, taking one of her hands into both of his.

"There's an instability in the Earth Kingdom. They've been seeing ghosts of civil war among our people and in the Fire Nation, but it's only because they're worried about their own kingdoms." He said.

"What does that have to do with Zuko?" Katara questioned. Her throat tightened and her voice came out as a warble.

"Not all of the kingdoms are worried about civil war." He said softly. Katara opened her mouth, ready to question him. But she knew. She had known about it for a long time; the clamor of dissent after the Yu Dao province was ceded away, and after what had happened in the Foggy Swamp.

"From what I understand," Amaq went on. "Xianji is from Anyang, and seems to be the political token the other city king's are using to shift power." He explained.

"So she was who you were supposed to marry?"

"That was what the Earth Kingdom wanted, yes."

"Why did they shift to Zuko?"

"Probably because they're worried about Azula's murder." Amaq said.

It was weird to hear Azula's name from him. Katara had felt like Amaq and everything that had happened was too far removed from what had occurred during the war. It was just further proof that the war had reached all corners of the four nations, and would linger. Just like a scar.

"But why now?" Katara asked.

"I don't know. Or, I don't know why Zuko agreed to it. I think there was probably a lot of pressure to quell the violence and rumors. Having such a powerful ally would secure Zuko's position, which would make the Earth Kingdom happier." Amaq said.

"And Anyang would have the might of the Fire Nation army." Katara muttered.

"That doesn't explain why Zuko agreed. This came out of the blue, and there's no reason why he wouldn't have taken this to his ministers." Amaq said, thinking aloud. "No ruler in his right mind would agree to such a thing so quickly."

"How was it, after I passed out?" Katara asked suddenly. Amaq looked down at her, perplexed.

"I was just as passed out as you were, remember. I basically got out of the pond, hauled Sokka off the Fire Lord and fell over." He shook his head and patted her hand. "I have no idea what happened when they left."

When they lapsed into silence, Katara took back her hand. She looked down at both of them and tried to collect the words for her next thought.

"Just tell them you're with the Avatar."

Katara knew politics, and had put off meeting Amaqjuaq because of them. She had been surprised to learn that the Earth Kingdom had tried to court her, but it had never struck her as impossible. There was a discomfort knowing that she was seen as a pawn, for either breeding or power, but she had accepted it.

She had never thought about how it affected the others.

Toph was rich enough to do as she pleased, while Aang came by that through his fame. Sokka was already courting and Zuko had been with Mai for the past five years. And when he wasn't, Katara had assumed that he would be the one to make any political proposals.

To think that he would be solicited as she had been was incredible.

To think that he would ever agree to it was heartbreaking.

"I think it's time." She said and then faced Amaq. "I'm ready."

"It is neither time nor are you ready." He replied quickly. Katara's nose started to run just as her sight began to blur.

"Yes I am." She said weakly and Amaq shook his head.

"You think you are because I'm safe. I'm the only man you can think of that won't threaten your feelings for Zuko." He countered.

"Why did he do this?" Katara said and dissolved into tears. Amaq held her as she cried, slowly stroking her hair.

"They have something. Something that would ruin him." He said, mostly to himself. Katara just leaned into him and sobbed.

It took three days to get to Ba Sing Se, and the group was on edge the entire time. Toph and Katara only spoke once. Sokka had told Toph about what happened in Hira'a while both he and Aang explained a bit about the Poles. Katara filled in the rest of the gaps.

Afterward, Toph had told them about the princess.

Xianji was the daughter of Kuei's eldest sister. Kuei had never known that he had siblings, since he had been the only child born to his mother and the only male. He had been isolated from the other wives and daughters, growing up protected till he took the throne at four years old.

The eldest sister had been married to the king of Anyang. Because of that, she had retained the title of Princess; only one other sister had done so, but she had died ten years ago. The others had married a commoner, and were quietly removed from the royal family.

The Princess of Anyang was a legend in the Earth Kingdom. After her father had died and Kuei's mother had seized the throne for her toddler son, the Princess had marched her husband's army to Ba Sing Se. Many of the other city kings had assumed she would stage a coup. Afterall, her mother had been the first wife of the previous king and she had been raised as a sort of heir replacement.

Even the citizens of Ba Sing Se had been ready to welcome her. The rings were opened before her and her army and she marched them up to the gates of the palace. There she had stopped them, and announced that she would hold the ring securely for her younger brother.

Anyang stood in defense of Ba Sing Se.

When Iroh had laid siege to the city, the brunt of the first troops were from Anyang. It was rumored that the Princess had even offered to marry Iroh in exchange for his retreat.

Whether true or not, it was now the Princess' daughter who was engaged to the ruling Fire Lord.

Curiosity and a deeply rooted terror drove Katara. As she still tired easily and slept poorly, it felt like time was rushing forward and she could not fight the current. All at once they landed in Ba Sing Se and disembarked and were dressed and were ushered to a shrine in the middle of the Inner Ring.

Katara's head spun as she filed into the dark room. The heavy wood and the wisps of incense made her think of Aktuk in the kashim and she felt sick. Thankful to kneel, Katara looked around and saw Iroh and Rin closer to the podium. A man in a richly embroidered robe stood on the podium and Katara took him for a priest. She tried to focus on the robe, finding the threads of gold shining too brightly in the candle light.

When doors opened, it scared her, and Katara jumped back up to her feet as the others rose. A tall woman entered first, her hair brushed up to support a heavy fengguan. Pearls and emeralds dripped off the goal headdress, yet the woman held her neck stiffly to support the weight. The Princess was purportedly in her fifties, yet she looked as young as Malina.

Katara watched the woman take a seat and then looked back at the open door.

Zuko walked out escorting a young woman. He wore red and gold, while she was dressed in green and black. The simple act of incorporating the other's nation into their colors made Katara's legs turn to jelly.

As she watched him move to the podium, she willed him to look at her. Her spirit pressed against the lines of her body, shoving against her to get to him. If he would only look at her, then she could figure out what he was thinking. Katara would know what had driven Zuko to make this choice.

He didn't even look at them.

The room was small, and with so few of them in attendance, there were clear divisions. Xianji's mother - look far more older and much more severe than Kuei - sat in a high back chair that only just didn't look like a throne. She looked only at the priest, occasionally glancing at the pair before him.

Iroh and Rin sat across from her, behind Zuko. Rin looked much as she always did, and Iroh looked sad.

Zuko looked resolved. Katara watched with a wringing pain as he poured tea for Xianji and almost cried out as they clinked their small cups together. As they drank, servants poured tea for the rest of them, and she felt her throat seize on the toast.

When they stood, Zuko delicately took Xianji's hand and the woman actually blushed. Katara's stomach jumped and she had to cover her mouth to push down the urge to be sick. Hands braced her on either side and Katara glanced around, seeing both Aang and Amaq reaching for her.

Letting out a shuddered breath, she drank her tea.

The princess had tight security and as soon as the ceremony was complete, her mother had summoned a group of burly servants. Katara and the others were rebuffed and she saw over their shoulders as Rin was cut off from following after Iroh.

"She is my step-daughter." Iroh said hastily and Xianji's mother leered over at Rin's blustering figure.

"I had been told she was only a peasant. Someone lucky enough to attend the Fire Lord." The woman stated.

"I married her mother." Iroh said and the woman gave no visible impression of any sort of judgement.

"And I have been told that she lives as a man does, having taken a wife." She continued. Rin lunged forward and was physically restrained by the servants.

"Now you-" Rin started, causing both Sokka and Katara to move. They too were restrained and now Xianji's mother looked put off.

"Excuse me." Toph said as she shoved two men aside. "I don't see why we need to resort to such unpleasantness."

Toph had grown, as they all had, but even at eighteen was still made small by her youth. Xianji's mother didn't even blink when Toph walked up to her.

"Lady Beifong, I did not invite you here because of the family you are so willing to flaunt in any sort of unwanted attention. Especially when one considers the fact that no one even knew there was a daughter till the Avatar dragged you out into the light." The woman loomed over Toph and smiled. "It is because of the Avatar that you're here at all."

"I don't think antagonising me is a good idea." Toph remarked and the woman scoffed.

"Oh? Because I think you'll find that I am not a good enemy to have. There is always, as they say, a bigger fish. And I could swallow up even a grand house such as yours." The woman clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Because princesses deal with things more powerful than simple gold."

The woman turned and gestured to the small group waiting. Still, she paused and looked back at Iroh.

"Your deviant step-daughter can wait with the others." She said and then walked off.

Katara's jaw fell and she looked in amazement as Zuko only offered Xianji his arm. Rin, contrary to her normal attitude, looked pale.

After the main party left, without a word of farewell to the guests, the servants began to usher them out. Katara quickly stepped over to walk with Rin, though the two didn't speak as they passed through the shrine.

Outside, Rin immediately stormed off and Katara ran after her.

"Wait!" Katara called and grabbed onto the back of Rin's tunic. Rin jerked her off but turned, her eyes full of tears.

"That bitch did something to him!" Rin snarled as tears fell down her face. "He never would've…" With a sigh, Rin took off her pince-nez and calmly wiped at her face. With a sniff, she replaced the glasses and looked back at the group.

"I wish you had held onto him a bit harder Master Katara." Rin remarked and turned away. Katara was speechless as Rin walked down the road to the Fire Nation coach. Sokka put his hand on Katara's shoulder and she curled in toward him.

"He felt sincere." Toph mumbled and kicked at the ground.

"So what do we do?" Sokka questioned.

"I don't think we do anything." Aang said. Katara grabbed onto the front of Sokka's shirt as she started shaking.

"We have to get out the street for one." Amaq said, looking around. "We're drawing too much attention."

"Ice Hunk is right. Come on, I have a house nearby." Toph said. Sokka gently guided Katara back the other way, and she craned her head around to look back at the coach. There were only a few people out on the street, but she couldn't see any red in the sea of green. Rin, it seemed, had already disappeared inside.

Time flowed on, knocking Katara off her feet.

The Beifong residence was naturally in the Inner Ring and they reached it quickly. Or it had taken ages and Katara had simply succumb to existing in one moment at a time. She had become a speck in a raging river, and noticed nothing.

There was dinner, and Katara couldn't recall whether she had even eaten. A bath was drawn, and as her hair was wet, she assumed she had bathed.

It was dark, and Katara shivered in a thin shift, sitting out on a porch in a walled garden.

The moon had risen over the wall, though it was only a waxing crescent. It would grow, but not be as large and impressive as the Anka Moon. This moon would not illuminate a small patch where two bodies had trembled together.

Katara didn't know she was crying till someone was trying to soothe her.

"You'll get through this." Amaq whispered and she pushed away from him. Taking the handkerchief he offered, Katara wiped her eyes.

"I don't know how." She said honestly. Balling up the linen square in her hands, Katara looked back at the moon.

"However it happens, I will always stand by you." Amaq said. Feeling something placed on her lap, Katara looked down. A flat, square box laid there and she started to cry again. She didn't want to open it, didn't want to see what she had resigned herself to being.

"Just look at it." Amaq added softly. Katara held the wadded piece of cloth in her palm as she opened the box.

The sight of the betrothal necklace made her hiccup and she cried harder. Amaq had carved the new symbol of the South Pole into the circular disk. White waves had been woven into the band.

"Here." He said as Katara blew her nose. Amaq flipped over the necklace and Katara sobbed.

The other side of the disk had the Fire Nation symbol carved into it. The white waves became black flames.

"Inside, you'll hold your love for him on the inside." Amaq whispered.

Inside, Katara burned.


	18. Epilogue

Blood was spilled in sacrifice. A bargain, made in anger and desperation, was struck.

The body heaved itself out of the water, the lungs pushing out cupfuls of sea water. The lungs weren't required to make the body move, but it allowed for speech, and that would be useful later. While not exhausted, the thing within the body was not used to being in a body of this design. The body twitched and struggled to its feet.

Silvery light illuminated the eyes and seemed to seep up through the head. The roots of hair glowed as the silver pushed upward, eliminating the deep brown color. As the body stood, the eyes looked down at the gaping hole in the chest. Visible through it was the shimmering silver of the thing that occupied the body. The right hand came up and covered the hole as the head looked around.

New clothes were required. And food. The body was hungry.

With halting, shuddering steps, the body followed the drag marks in the soft earth onto the snow. And onward, to Yupik.


End file.
